Simeone on the clock: the international break makes Alavés prep tricky

Atlético de Madrid head into the next test after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the derby, and Simeone’s focus now turns to the visit to Alavés at Mendizorroza this Saturday from 16:15, with the international break cutting into preparation time.

As Mundo Deportivo reports, the schedule tightens immediately: after the trip to Vitoria, the Champions League match vs Manchester United comes on Tuesday, followed by Espanyol, Stuttgart, Deportivo de La Coruña, Levante, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

International minutes, added workload

Simeone won’t have a full week to work with his players. Morten Hjulmand is the only one whose final international match is on Sunday; he would rest on Monday and potentially join training on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Baena, Pubill, Le Normand, Oblak, Hancko, Lookman, Mendoza and Esquivel play in Europe. Kang-in Lee will take on Uzbekistan at 13:00, but his return flight is expected to take around 15 hours.

Recovery and lineup calls

Argentina, Canada and Mexico play early on Wednesday, meaning Julián Álvarez, Giuliano (Giuliano), Cuti Romero, Musso, Jonathan David and Obed Vargas are expected in Spain on Thursday after roughly 10-hour flights. That return should trigger recovery sessions so the staff can decide whether they’re ready for Mendizorroza or whether it’s smarter to manage them with the Manchester United clash in mind.