Atlético de Madrid have made official their squad list for tonight's clash against Villarreal away from home. Simeone has called up all the signings that have arrived so far, but there are also some absences that are very notable for the fans. The main one is Thomas Lemar, who has had a lot of minutes this preseason, but will remain in Madrid today.
The French midfielder suffered some physical discomfort a few weeks ago, missing a large number of training sessions in Majadahonda . However, Simeone has not left him out of the squad due to any physical problem, at least for the moment. Thomas Lemar will not be able to debut this season against Villarreal after having spent many months recovering from a serious injury.
Enigma about Thomas Lemar
There was a lot of expectation about what Simeone 's first squad would be, with several notable news items after its publication. The first of these is that the signings will travel in full for the debut, although not all of them will be starters. However, one of the aspects that has most caught the attention of Atlético fans is the absence of Thomas Lemar , who is not on the list.
According to Atlético de Madrid itself, it is a technical decision by Simeone himself, something that has surprised even more. The French midfielder had been a key player during the friendlies of the summer, even wearing the captain's armband. Even so, he suffered a small injury that kept him out for several training sessions, just like Riquelme .
Now, all alarm bells have gone off after this decision, as Thomas Lemar 's future has always been up in the air. He is a player much to Simeone 's liking, but his irregularity has meant that he has never been able to show his best level. Now, no longer on the squad list , numerous theories are beginning to emerge about whether his future will be away from the Metropolitano .
Many months without competing
Thomas Lemar had been performing well during pre-season, although the demands in the friendlies were not too high. The player suffered a serious injury in the match against Valencia in September last year, having to undergo surgery. Since then, despite returning to training , he has not been able to play in an official match.
Simeone has always been willing to keep the Frenchman and be able to give him minutes during such a long season. Now, with several weeks ahead of the transfer market closing, it seems that a soap opera with Thomas Lemar is opening up. It must be remembered that the intention of the red-and-white team is to close the arrival of Conor Gallagher , who would increase the competition in the engine room.