Julián Álvarez suffered a fresh setback in his bid to reclaim a starting role at Atlético Madrid after the club’s medical staff ruled him out of the fixture against Real Sociedad due to muscle fatigue.
The Argentine forward did not travel with Atlético’s squad to San Sebastián after being forced to leave the final training session early to undergo medical evaluations.
Atlético Confirm Álvarez Absence
The club stated in an official release: “Julián will not travel to San Sebastián due to muscle fatigue that forced him to withdraw from yesterday’s training session. Following necessary evaluations, the medical team has ruled him out of today’s match.”
The injury comes days after Álvarez played 90 minutes against Liverpool in Atlético’s 2-1 Champions League defeat, marking his first full match for the club since last season’s Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad.
The 26-year-old has featured in just three matches this season, logging roughly 145 minutes without scoring, though he assisted Marcos Llorente’s goal against Liverpool during his first start of the campaign.
Turbulent Summer and Hostile Return Against Villarreal
Álvarez endured a turbulent summer after stating during the World Cup that a move would be his preferred option, citing a dream to play for Barcelona. However, Atlético refused to negotiate with the Catalan side and insisted on retaining him, while the player showed little enthusiasm for a potential move to Arsenal.
The forward returned to Atlético’s squad against Villarreal following an extended absence, but was met with heavy whistles from fans at the Metropolitano upon the announcement of his name and subsequent substitution onto the pitch. He made little impact over 24 minutes in a disappointing 2-2 draw, before leaving the stadium separately under club advice.
Following that match, he missed three training sessions and the fixture against Sevilla due to what was described as a “health issue.” Reports attributed to radio station Cadena COPE indicated at the time that he presented a medical report related to depression; however, neither Atlético nor the player publicly confirmed that diagnosis, with the club maintaining that his condition was being monitored by internal medical staff.
