Atletico Madrid's Morata to be available against Mallorca

Atletico Madrid returned to training on Monday, with Alvaro Morata likely to start next Saturday's game against Mallorca, replacing the suspended Antoine Griezmann, according to Diego Simeone's first test with Marcos Llorente on the right wing.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak; centre-backs Axel Witsel, Jose Maria Gimenez and Mario Hermoso; left-back Samuel Lino; midfielders Rodrigo de Paul, Koke Resurreccion and Pablo Barrios, with Saul Niguez as an alternative; and striker Angel Correa, scorer of the winner against Athletic, complete the likely starting XI. 

Morata is the main new addition. Sidelined in Vitoria against Alaves and an unused substitute against Athletic, due to an acute case of trigeminal neuralgia, he is expected to return to the starting line-up for the visit to Palma de Mallorca.

It is still the first test of the week, so everything is open to change in the days leading up to the game, in which Simeone has Griezmann suspended for a five-match yellow card suspension, while awaiting the return to fitness of Thomas Lemar, Memphis Depay and Gabriel Paulista, who are recovering from their respective injuries.  

If he keeps that line-up, apart from the French striker, Nahuel Molina will also be out of the line-up, in his case to the bench, after starting the last seven games in a row.

 

April 29, 2024