Simeone is refining his eleven in notable absences

In the first two days of concentration in the Segovian mountains, each exercise, each test, assumes a new trace of the visible eleven summer starters in charge Diego Simeonethe coach of Atletico Madridwithout Álvaro Morata or Thomas Lemar or any of the four signings or Joao Félix, waiting for offers to leave the club and in an uncomfortable situation this preseason.

Waiting for Jan Oblak (recovering from a cervical problem) in the goal, the coach insisted that there is a team made up of Nahuel Molina and Yannick Carrasco, as right and left wings, respectively, with Stefan Savic, José María Giménez and Mario Hermosor, on a line of three centrals; Rodrigo de Paul, Coke Resurrection and Saul Niguez, in midfield; and Angel Correa and Antoine Griezmann, In front. This is what he tried this afternoon in an attack exercise.

And nothing yes. This is his most difficult summer: back from his debt from Chelseafrom last January to June, without rediscovering all the levels assumed and, at the right time, presented in Athletic, between the controversy with the Argentine coach, with everyone’s intuition that this is an obvious transfer to another destination and with a clear feeling that he is no longer the main striker in the rojiblanco team that he was in the past. Offers for him will determine whether or not he continues at the club after next August.

The tests of the eleven or the tactical exercises are seen, for now, that its future is far from Athletic. Relegated on Monday to the second shift in the final test, from the coach’s first choice for both teams, although he later entered one of them, this Tuesday afternoon he was selected for one of them from the first moment, the theoretical substitute team, as the playmaker, this time with the Giuliano Simeone waiting in the wings, but then left his place in the youth team.

THE FRUSTRATION OF JOAO FELIX

joao felix formed in the team that defended that practice. When the time came for the attack, he was replaced. A gesture with a bib once again showed his frustration at the new situation he was in Athletic and his football career. At the same time, they also stayed outside Yannick Carrasco, Santiago Mouriño and José María Giménez.

SimeonIn the meantime, he is already working on an eleven, with the nuances that he expressed that there is still a month before the start of the competition and in the condition that he thinks that Jan Oblak, the undisputed starting goalkeeper, and Memphis Depay the obvious striker in the coach’s typical lineup before his injury at the end of last season, they are still on the sidelines, they continue their preparation and do not train with the group.

But, apart from the forward position, due to the current absence of the Dutchman, and the tests that will mean for all four friendly matches (the first on July 27 in Seoul against a selection of players from K League South Korean), the order of that eleven, either in events determined by groups or in ten-player alignments, is often repeated in the schemes of Simeon In these two days of intense concentration work on Los Angeles of San Rafael.

Besides joao felixThere is also no place in that theoretical starting eleven for Morata, who, based on these tests, has started again as a substitute this campaign, as he is wanted by Milan. In the last 16 official matches last year, the Spanish international forward from Simeone’s first team started seven of them, five concentrated in the last seven days of The leaguewhen he scored three goals.

That’s where it comes from Thomas’s mottor. And it still can’t recover its site Marcos Llorente (This afternoon he withdrew at the start of the session as a precaution after feeling some discomfort), after an injury that kept him out of seven of the last eight games. In the last one, at 2-2 with the villarrealreturned the call, but did not play any minutes.

The four signings are not yet among Simeone’s picks for the current eleven. neither Cesar Azpilicuetaused as third center or right back, depending on the moment; Caglar Soyuncu, Santiago Mourinho and Javi Galan. neither samuel linothat his stay is at stake this preseason.