Preparation at the Ciudad Deportiva
The last training session of Atlético de Madrid at the Ciudad Deportiva made it clear that coach Diego Simeone is still considering how to manage the start of the match and the 90 minutes against Villarreal. "I'm still thinking about how we can manage the start of the match and the 90, which are long, to compete like we did the other day," he said.
Possible changes to the starting XI
Simeone has indicated that the debut of one of the new signings and the first appearance of two of them could shape the starting XI for the upcoming Sunday match. Marcos Llorente, Alejandro Grimaldo, Morten Hjulmand and Giuliano Simeone are the options being considered. Ademola Lookman remains the most advanced forward.
Probable lineup
The probable starting lineup includes goalkeeper Jan Oblak; central defenders David Hanck, Robin Le Normand; midfielders Pablo Barrios, Koke Resurrección and Rodrigo Mendoza; and Lookman. This lineup is based on the 2-0 win against Málaga last Wednesday.
Simeone’s considerations
The coach stresses the importance of the physical and emotional aspects of his players after the holidays. "It still concerns me, I would like to have everyone to choose who can play best, today I have to think about the physical, emotional part, how they will respond to the time they had on vacation. Not to mention the ‘Cuti’, who is just starting. We have creative work to do. Looking for the team to compete well," he added.
Expected substitutions
If the training clues hold, Llorente would replace Jorge Domínguez, Grimaldo would replace Dani Martínez, Hjulmand would replace Arnau Ortiz and Giuliano would replace Carlos Martín.
