Following Sunday’s very disappointing defeat to Elche, Atletico Madrid once again trail Real Madrid in the race for second place in La Liga.
Los Rojiblancos had held the position for just one matchday, but they are once again chasing their city rivals. In a further blow, it is likely that they will play the season run-in without Thomas Lemar, who pulled up against Elche.
As per Marca, Lemar is suffering with a muscle ailment, which will see him miss the next two weeks, at the very least. However, given that there is only three weeks left of the season, there is a strong possibility that the Frenchman is out until the summer.
Atletico have had rotten luck with injuries of late. Jan Oblak, Stefan Savic, Marcos Llorente and Memphis Depay have all been injured in recent weeks, while Reinildo Mandava is a long-term casualty.
With Lemar and Llorente out, Diego Simeone will likely have to choose between Saul and Pablo Barrios to partner Koke and Rodrigo De Paul in the final weeks of the season, as Atletico Madrid target second place in La Liga.