Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has told the media that it could be some time before summer signing Javi Galan is featuring regularly in the starting line-up.
Galan was widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in Spain over the last two seasons, operating for Celta Vigo, and Atletico fans were by and large delighted with his addition. Yet so far it’s been a soft start to life in Madrid for Galan.
In his brief showings, he has looked good, but is yet to start a match, and has appeared for just 98 minutes across five of Atletico’s 11 games. Simeone was asked about on Friday.
“We must remember Oblak, Griezmann or Gimenez, who took a year to start playing. He is showing eagerness, enthusiasm, he is earning minutes as we are seeing. It’s the path to follow.”
Galan, if he gets on the pitch on Saturday, will be up against his former side in Celta.
“In transition it is a team that plays very well and then they have Aspas, who in construction and associative play, is one of the best at playing with their backs and seeing people’s runs. And when they have worked in their own third, they have defended very well and I imagine that kind of game.”
Simeone would not be drawn on referees, who have been in focus all season in Spain.
“What matters to me is tomorrow’s game and not all those things that I’m not going to solve by explaining here in two minutes,” he told Marca.
Up against Galan for the left-wingback spot is Samuel Lino, who has been in fine form since coming in for Yannick Carrasco, which more than anything else might explain his lack of minutes. Alongside that, is the fact that Atletico play the majority of their games trying to defend against them, where the likes of Lino or Rodrigo Riquelme, who has also been tried out there, present more attacking options for Simeone.
