Julián Álvarez missed Atlético Madrid training for a second consecutive day after failing to attend Thursday morning’s session, leaving him out of Diego Simeone’s preparations for the upcoming La Liga match against Sevilla.
The Argentine striker informed Atlético officials that he was still feeling ‘unwell’ and unable to work with the group. That is the club’s official explanation, although the issue is not a muscular or physical injury but his psychological state following the hostile reception he received from the team’s supporters against Villarreal.
Álvarez returned to the Metropolitano on Sunday for the first time since announcing his desire to leave. He was loudly booed when his name was read over the public-address system, and the whistles and protests resumed when Simeone introduced him in the 66th minute of the 2–2 draw.
The tension did not end with the boos. After the match, Atlético sent Álvarez to the dressing room alone rather than keeping him with his teammates to salute the supporters, in an attempt to protect him from further abuse. Simeone later confirmed that this was the club’s decision, not the player’s.
Atlético’s players were given two days off after the Villarreal match. When the team returned to work on Wednesday morning, Álvarez’s camp informed the club that he had endured a difficult night and was unable to attend because of his condition. The same situation was repeated on Thursday, resulting in a second successive absence.
Atlético’s hierarchy consider the club to be the party most harmed by the ongoing dispute. Arsenal could provide the only way out in the closing days of the window after Atlético definitively refused to negotiate with Barcelona. If no satisfactory English offer arrives, Álvarez will have to regain his psychological stability and return to a team with whom he is under contract until the summer of 2030.
His absence also increases Simeone’s problems before the trip to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, especially as Alexander Sørloth continues to train separately because of a muscular injury. The coach is therefore working with limited attacking options ahead of Atlético’s first away match of the season.
