Atletico Madrid have been in fine form with the exception of their defeat to Barcelona over the weekend, and one of the surprises is that they have been so with Axel Witsel in their backline. The Belgian was initially an emergency option at the back last season, but since has been on a gradual upward trajectory in central defence, which has left Stefan Savic out in the cold.
The Serbian defender has not featured in the last five games Atletico have played. Mario Hermoso and Witsel have been fixtures throughout, with Jose Maria Gimenez and Cesar Azpilicueta divding the rest of the time. Even the cameo appearances against Villarreal and Celtic were given to Caglar Soyuncu ahead of Savic.
It leaves his future somewhat in the air according to Diario AS. Until now, Savic has almost always been a fixture in Simeone’s defence while fit, and this change could see him reconsider his next step. Both Savic and Atletico rejected Saudi Arabia in the summer, but at the age of 32, and with little over six months left on his deal, there has been no sign of a contract offer in the post either.
Should his absence continue, then a separation would only make sense. That said, Soyuncu has also been linked with an exit in January to earn more minutes ahead of the Euros, and if Atletico might be reluctant to lose depth in defence, it seems impossible that they would countenance losing both without a replacement this winter.
