Atletico Madrid will go into their Champions League semi-final tie with Arsenal at a significant disadvantage, as they will be without Pablo Barrios for both matches.
Barrios made his first start since returning from a recent hamstring injury during Atleti’s 3-2 victory over Athletic Club on Saturday, but he could only last an hour at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano before he pulled up again. The initial fears were that he would miss both clashes against Arsenal, and these have now rung true, as an official medical report from Atleti has confirmed that the midfielder has suffered another hamstring injury.
“Pablo Barrios suffers a muscle injury in his left thigh, which occurred during the match against Athletic Club this Saturday. The Madrid midfielder has undergone tests carried out by the club’s medical services, which have confirmed the injury. The red-and-white ‘8’ will carry out both physiotherapy sessions and rehabilitation work in the gym and the evolution of his injury will determine his return to competition.”
Barrios pencilled in for one-month absence
Atleti did not state when they expect Barrios to return, but Marca have noted that the Spain international is expected to be out for the next month. That means he will miss the matches against Arsenal at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano and Emirates Stadium, but were Diego Simeone’s side to progress to the final, he would have chances to be involved.
Barrios’ importance at Atleti cannot be overstated, so it is a seismic blow for Simeone on the eve of the Arsenal tie. The likelihood is that he continues with the partnership of Koke Resurreccion and Marcos Llorente that featured in the Champions League quarter-final victory over Barcelona, although Johnny Cardoso is another option that will be at the disposal of the Argentine coach.
Atleti’s odds of overcoming Arsenal have definitively reduced with this Barrios news, although they will still believe that they can overcome the Premier League leaders across two legs.
