Cuti Romero pushes for Atletico starting spot ahead of San Mames trip

Cristian 'Cuti' Romero is starting to make his case for a place in Diego Simeone's starting eleven. During Tuesday's session, the first of the week, the Argentine centre-back featured in one of the lineups tested by the coach ahead of the weekend trip to San Mames. The workout took place on the final day of the transfer window, with several departures still unresolved in the Atletico Madrid squad.

• Cuti Romero took part in one of Simeone's starting eleven tests for the match at Athletic Club.
• Atletico face the end of the transfer window with Lemar, Obed Vargas, Carlos Martin and possibly Gimenez set to leave.
• Robin Le Normand and Julian Alvarez return to the squad after suspension and international duty respectively.
• Alexander Sorloth remains sidelined with a muscle problem and is a serious doubt for San Mames.
• Simeone kept the core of the team that won 1-3 at Sevilla but rotated in defence and midfield.

Simeone's lineup tests for San Mames

Simeone is already building from the side that beat Sevilla at the Sanchez-Pizjuan. In the first setup he tried, the team lined up with Jan Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Grimaldo; Giuliano, Hjulmand, Barrios, Lookman; Baena and Kang-In Lee. A very familiar shape compared to the one that earned three points on Saturday.

From there, the coach made changes. He brought Cuti Romero into the centre of defence and also introduced Koke and Mendoza. In that second test, the eleven read Oblak; Llorente, Cuti, Pubill, Hancko; Giuliano, Koke, Barrios, Lookman; Baena and Mendoza. It was the clearest sign yet that the Argentine could take on a bigger role immediately.

In the final switch of the morning, El Cholo restored Grimaldo at left-back. These are common moves in the first session of the week, when the coach is still fine-tuning details rather than settling on a final lineup. But the message is clear: Romero is in the conversation.

How Simeone could fit Cuti Romero into the defence

The Argentine centre-back is expected to play a leading role in Atletico's back line, but bringing him in forces a reshuffle in a unit where Pubill and Hancko have settled well. Simeone has different options depending on what he wants to prioritise.

One possibility is to sacrifice the width provided by Grimaldo and use Hancko as a full-back, which would open a spot for Romero in the middle. The other, more attacking option means leaving out one of the central defenders who have been playing and keeping the wide lanes longer. The coach already said before the Sevilla match that he would not rush the Argentine, and that Romero would only play once he felt ready to perform at the level the team requires.

Who trained and who missed out for Atletico

Simeone gets Robin Le Normand back for the Bilbao trip after the defender served his suspension in Seville. Julian Alvarez is also available again after returning from international duty with Argentina. Both look set to rejoin the squad.

The negative note remains Alexander Sorloth. The striker is dealing with a muscle issue that has kept him out of the first three LaLiga matches, and his involvement at San Mames is in serious doubt. Jose Maria Gimenez and Thomas Lemar also stayed off the pitch, doing gym work while their futures are sorted out on deadline day.

Transfer deadline keeps Atletico squad open

Atletico head into the final hours of the window with several matters still open. Thomas Lemar, Obed Vargas and Carlos Martin are on the list of possible departures, and Jose Maria Gimenez could also leave the club before the deadline closes for Europe's major leagues. The outcome of those cases will shape the final squad Simeone has available for the season.

FAQ: Atletico Madrid lineup for San Mames