For Atletico Madrid, their squad is getting closer to full fitness as both Thomas Lemar and Vitolo have now returned to full training, having recovered from long-term injuries.
However, do not expect either one to feature in the Spanish Super Cup Madrid derby on Wednesday night. More than likely, neither player will even be in the travel squad that goes to Riyadh.
El Derbi Madrileño FYIs
Competition: Supercopa de Espana Semifinals
Kickoff: Wed. Jan. 10, 8pm, Al Awwal Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
Team News: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
European football book authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Watch: ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, ESPN2
Atletico Madrid Team News
Elsewhere Pablo Barrios and Marcos Paulo remain out of commission for Diego Simone’s men. Also, Caglar Soyuncu is very likely to miss out of the cup clash, due to a back problem. Other than that, there are no new unavailability concerns to speak of.
Atletico should go into this match with a very strong sense of confidence, given how they are the only side to beat Real Madrid, in any competition, thus far this season. And in the past five matches, we’ve seen a dead even Capital City derby. It’s all even up at two wins a piece, to go along with one draw.
So this Madid derby should truly be anybody’s ballgame.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.