Atletico Madrid will face a significant setback in their Champions League semi-final clash with Arsenal, as Pablo Barrios has been ruled out for both legs of the tie.
Barrios, who recently returned from a hamstring issue, made his first start in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Athletic Club. However, his participation was cut short after just an hour when he re-injured himself. Initial concerns that he would miss the crucial encounters against Arsenal have now been confirmed by an official medical report from Atletico, which states the midfielder has suffered another hamstring problem.
The club’s medical services have confirmed the injury: “Pablo Barrios suffers a muscle injury in his left thigh, which occurred during the match against Athletic Club this Saturday. The Madrid midfielder has undergone tests… The red-and-white ‘8’ will carry out both physiotherapy sessions and rehabilitation work in the gym, and the evolution of his injury will determine his return to competition.”
Barrios Expected to Be Out for a Month
While Atletico has not provided a specific return date, reports from Marca indicate that the Spanish international is expected to be sidelined for approximately one month. This timeline means he will miss both the home and away fixtures against Arsenal. Should Atletico advance to the final, there is a possibility he could feature.
Barrios’s absence is a considerable blow to manager Diego Simeone on the eve of the Arsenal tie, given his importance to the team. It is anticipated that Simeone will revert to the midfield partnership of Koke Resurreccion and Marcos Llorente, who featured in the Champions League quarter-final win against Barcelona. Johnny Cardoso remains another midfield option for the Argentine coach.
Atletico’s chances of overcoming Arsenal have undoubtedly diminished with this news, though the team will still harbor hopes of progressing past the Premier League leaders over the two legs.
