Julián Álvarez is a doubt for Sunday’s Madrid derby at the Metropolitano

Julián Álvarez heads into the Madrid derby with his status still up in the air due to a muscle overload in his quadriceps. The Atlético striker felt the problem during a training session last Saturday, had to leave early, and ultimately missed the last two matches: against Real Sociedad and Osasuna.

The decision lands on Saturday

As Atlético’s football director Mateu Alemany said to Movistar, whether Álvarez plays will depend largely on how that quadriceps feels. He has not trained with the team since Saturday, and the schedule is tight: the staff have two sessions ahead (Friday and Saturday) to assess if he is fit, either to start or to be used as a substitute.

Options and other absences

With Álvarez in doubt, Atlético’s plan could involve Jonathan David stepping in, either as a straight replacement or in a combination up front. The Argentine has not scored yet in this period according to the report, though he has been decisive in recent games, including goals versus Real Sociedad and Osasuna, plus an assist.

The derby also comes too soon for Alexander Sorloth with a muscular injury sustained about a month and a half ago. Pablo Barrios is also a probable absentee, sidelined by a “low-grade myofascial injury” in his right leg suffered eight days ago at Anfield, where Atlético lost 2-1.