Diego Simeone says Julian Alvarez will be included in the Atletico de Madrid squad for Sunday's derby against Real Madrid, although the forward is expected to begin the match on the bench.
Simeone welcomes Los Blancos to the Estadio Metropolitano tomorrow, with both teams having already suffered defeat in LaLiga this season.
Atletico de Madrid go into the fixture after a convincing 4-0 victory over Osasuna in midweek. Despite Alvarez's return to fitness, Simeone could retain the same starting line-up for the derby.
The Argentina international has had a limited role during the 2026/27 campaign and has not started a league match. His reduced involvement has followed the failure of his preferred summer transfer to Barcelona.
Simeone has repeatedly indicated that he wants to rebuild his relationship with Alvarez. However, the striker is likely to be among the substitutes against Real Madrid, with Ademola Lookman identified by his manager as Atletico's main threat in one-on-one situations.
“Julian will join us in the squad,” Simeone said. “We will decide later whether he starts or comes on during the match.”
The Atletico manager also stressed the importance of Lookman, who he believes offers a type of attacking threat that is not usually available to his team.
“Lookman is a player with a profile we don't often have,” he said. “He's the most dangerous player in 1v1 situations on the edge of the box. We need him whether he plays 60, 70, or however many minutes he plays.”
Lookman has made a positive impression since arriving at the club, although Simeone acknowledged that the forward's opening to the season has not reached the level he wanted.
“He's been very good for us since he arrived, and although his start to the season hasn't been what he'd like, we still need him,” Simeone added.