Atletico Madrid fans stage angry training ground protests against Barcelona-linked Julian Alvarez
Diego Simeone has attempted to diffuse dressing-room tension by insisting that Alvarez remains central to his plans, despite the forward formally requesting a transfer in the off-season.
Speaking ahead of the Malaga clash on Tuesday, Simeone maintained that the Argentine’s absence was purely down to match fitness, reiterating that he still considers Alvarez the squad’s best player and expects him to feature against Villarreal on Sunday.
