What injury does Julián Álvarez have and why is he missing Atlético Madrid’s Champions League match?

Julián Álvarez ruled out

Atlético Madrid faces a tough European debut against Liverpool at Anfield, but they will do so without one of their key players: Julián Álvarez. The Argentine forward has been left out of Diego Simeone’s squad after picking up a knee injury in the last LaLiga match against Villarreal, where he had to be substituted at halftime.

Álvarez had started the season as one of the cornerstones of Atlético’s attack, already contributing two goal involvements in four matches. Even against Villarreal, before leaving injured, he assisted Pablo Barrios for the opening goal in a 2-0 win. However, he has not recovered in time and will not travel to England.

Atlético’s squad and other absences

Simeone named 22 players for the European opener in Merseyside, but alongside Álvarez, there are other notable absences: Johnny Cardoso, Thiago Almada, José María Giménez, and Álex Baena.

Cardoso’s absence was particularly unexpected: the U.S. international suffered a sprain in Monday’s training session and will also miss the Champions League clash against the reigning Premier League champions.

What’s next for Atlético

The schedule offers no rest for Atlético. After facing Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, Simeone’s men will quickly turn their attention to LaLiga, with a Sunday match against Mallorca. So far, Atlético have only managed one win in four league fixtures and sit 11th in the table, meaning the challenge of competing on two fronts is significant.

Losing Julián Álvarez is a major blow for Atlético’s immediate aspirations, and Simeone will now have to rely on the depth of his squad to make a strong start in the Champions League.