Training dispute leaves Julian Alvarez out of Atletico Madrid’s Sevilla squad

Diego Simeone has left Julian Alvarez out of the Atletico Madrid squad for Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Sevilla, following a week of tension between the Argentina forward and the Madrid club.

The Atletico manager confirmed the decision during his news conference, saying Alvarez had missed some collective training sessions after refusing to take part in them. His omission means the forward will not be involved in the match at the third round of the Spanish league season.

The most notable inclusion in Simeone’s selection is Argentina defender Cristian Romero, whose arrival provides a significant boost to Atletico’s defensive options after he overcame his physical problems.

Alvarez’s absence had been the main point of interest surrounding the squad announcement. The forward was not included despite the importance of the fixture, with Simeone pointing directly to the events of the past week when explaining why he had been left out.

The decision formally settles Alvarez’s position for the Sevilla match, while Romero’s presence offers Atletico an experienced defensive option. Simeone’s squad contains 24 players in total.

The full Atletico Madrid squad is:

Jan Oblak, Juan Musso, Esquivel, Marcos Llorente, Pubill, Jose Maria Gimenez, David Hancko, Alejandro Grimaldo, Cuti Romero, Dominguez, Dani Martinez, Koke, Morten Hjulmand, Pablo Barrios, Cardoso, Baena, Mendoza, Castillo, Kang-in Lee, Arnau Ortiz, Carlos Martin, Giuliano Simeone, Ademola Lookman and Takefusa Kubo.

The match against Sevilla takes place on Saturday as Atletico continue their campaign in La Liga. Simeone’s announcement ensures that the focus before kick-off will remain on both the absence of Alvarez and the defensive reinforcement provided by Romero.

Alvarez has been excluded after a week in which relations between the player and Atletico Madrid became strained. Simeone’s explanation linked that situation to training, making clear that the decision was not simply a technical choice for the Sevilla fixture.

Romero, by contrast, has been selected after moving beyond the physical issues that had affected him. His inclusion gives Atletico another option at the back as they prepare for the third league round.

Readers can discuss the story and other football news in greater depth on Kooora forums.