Julian Alvarez misses another Atletico Madrid session as ‘malaise’ fuels transfer uncertainty

Julian Alvarez has missed Atletico Madrid training for a third consecutive day because of what the club describes as “malaise”, increasing doubts over whether the Argentina forward will be fit to face Sevilla.

Alvarez was absent from Friday’s session, 28 August, with club sources citing continued “fatigue” and “feeling unwell”. His prolonged absence now places his involvement at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan in serious doubt.

The situation has added to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the 19-year-old, whose position has become the focus of increasing attention in recent days. According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, several parties believe the matter has effectively been settled, although the key figure himself – Alvarez – continues to maintain his position.

Atletico have explained the player’s absence by referring to a “malaise”, but the fact that it has kept him out of training for three days has raised questions over both his physical condition and his immediate availability. The club are preparing for their next match against Sevilla, but Alvarez is now a doubt for the fixture.

His absence comes after Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin publicly criticised Barcelona and Alvarez’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo, over the handling of the situation.

Gil Marin made his comments on Thursday at the Grimaldo Forum in Monaco, where he addressed the uncertainty surrounding the forward. He said Atletico want Alvarez to remain at the club, but would look for an “alternative” away from Barcelona if the player concluded that continuing in Madrid was “not compatible” with his circumstances.

Speaking to Movistar from Monaco, Gil Marin said: “Julian Alvarez is going through a very difficult time because there are people who have managed to deceive and confuse him. I feel deeply sorry because I know him, and we have been working with him for some time. He is a wonderful person, a great professional and a great footballer, but he is completely confused and is currently going through a very, very difficult situation on a personal and professional level.”

Gil Marin also said “falsehood disgusts him” in relation to Barcelona, while making clear that Atletico’s preference was for Alvarez to continue with the club.

The executive’s intervention has intensified the scrutiny around the player, whose continued absence has left his position unclear. For now, Atletico’s public explanation remains that Alvarez is suffering from a period of fatigue and general discomfort. However, with the problem extending into a third day and a trip to Sevilla approaching, the forward’s fitness has become an immediate concern as questions over his longer-term future persist.