Atletico Madrid starter Pablo Barrios has been ruled out of both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal with a hamstring injury.
Marca report that Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios has now had a hamstring injury confirmed, with the setback expected to rule him out for both legs of the Champions League semi-finals against Arsenal.
Barrios could even be out for the remainder of the season, but he’s set to miss at least a month of football, making a return for Atletico’s final league game against Villarreal on May 24th far from guaranteed.
Marca suggest that even a comeback in a potential Champions League final would be uncertain, but it’s clear he won’t be back for the two Arsenal matches over the next week.
Marca suggest that Barrios had been one of Atletico’s best players when fit this season, but that hasn’t been nearly as often as he would have wanted.
The midfielder had just returned from two months on the sidelines last Wednesday, after being a starter for Atletico throughout the first half of the season. The plan was presumably to get him ready to face Arsenal with a start at the weekend, but that certainly backfired.
The good news for Atletico is that Alexander Sorloth returned from his own injury against Athletic Club, but Ademola Lookman remains a doubt for the Arsenal match at this stage.
Lookman’s involvement is perhaps key, as he’s the one starter Atletico didn’t yet have when they lost 4-0 to Arsenal earlier in the season. Whether he’ll be available and able to inspire an Atletico win this time remains to be seen.
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