Julián Alvarez in race against time for Atlético - Real Madrid derby

Julián Alvarez is up against the clock to be ready for Sunday's Madrid derby at the Metropolitano. The Argentine forward has not trained with the group since last Saturday, when he felt discomfort in his quadriceps during Atlético Madrid's final tactical session before the trip to Real Sociedad. The muscle overload ruled him out of that match and also kept him out against Osasuna, leaving his availability in doubt with three days to go until the showdown with Real Madrid.

• Julián Alvarez has been sidelined since Saturday with a quadriceps overload and has not trained with the squad.
• He missed the matches against Real Sociedad and Osasuna.
• Only two group sessions remain before the derby on Sunday at the Metropolitano.
• Jonathan David, with two goals in the last two games, is the main alternative.
• Sorloth and Barrios remain out injured.

Why Julián Alvarez is a doubt for the derby

The alarm was raised last Saturday during what turned out to be the final rehearsal before Atlético's league visit to San Sebastián. Alvarez was in Simeone's starting team when he felt a twinge in his quadriceps and had to head to the dressing room. Tests confirmed a muscle overload that ruled him out of the following two fixtures. Since then, the World Cup winner has not completed a single session with his teammates.

Time is not on his side. Atlético had Thursday off and return to training on Friday at 11:00 a.m. With Saturday's workout as the last test, the coaching staff will have just two sessions to determine whether the striker is fit enough to start or settle for a place on the bench.

Atlético's message on the striker's recovery

Mateu Alemany, the club's Men's Professional Football director, told Movistar on Wednesday that the decision will come down to how the quadriceps responds over the next days. He stressed that Alvarez is putting in long hours on his recovery, feels a special motivation to play the derby and will do everything possible to make it. The impression from within the club is that the player's will is not in question, but his physical sensations will have the final say.

Whether he plays or not will depend a lot on that quadriceps and how he feels. He is training, preparing and dedicating a lot of time to getting ready for the match, and he has a special desire to play it.

Jonathan David, Simeone's alternative up front

If Alvarez does not recover in time, Simeone has a clear option in attack: Jonathan David. The Canadian has responded with goals in his last two appearances, scoring against Real Sociedad and Osasuna while also providing an assist. His form makes him a serious candidate to fill the Argentine's role or even partner him if the coach opts for a more attacking setup.

Alvarez's presence in the starting eleven carries real weight. A week ago he started at Anfield against Liverpool, proof of the trust Simeone has in him when fully fit. If the quadriceps responds as hoped, the natural move would be to bring him back into the side for a match of maximum importance.

A difficult start to the season for the Argentine

The current overload is the latest chapter in a turbulent opening to the campaign for the striker. After a summer shaped by the failed move to Barcelona and a late return to pre-season due to the 2026 World Cup final, the Argentine has only appeared in three of the team's seven official matches. His league debut came on August 23 against Villarreal, when he entered in the 66th minute amid loud jeers from the Metropolitano crowd. He then played half an hour in Bilbao, with Atlético already 2-0 down, before completing the full ninety minutes at Anfield.

He has yet to score this season. An illness before the trip to Sevilla and the current overload have disrupted a player expected to be a key attacking reference in Simeone's project. If he returns to the Metropolitano on Sunday, it will be his first home appearance since that cold reception from the fans in August.

Sorloth and Barrios remain out for Atlético

Beyond the uncertainty over Alvarez, Atlético have two players ruled out or highly unlikely for Sunday. Alexander Sorloth is still working his way back from a muscle injury that has kept him out for a month and a half and forced him to miss all seven official games so far this season. Last week, Simeone admitted the Norwegian is eager to return and that the team needs his particular qualities as a striker, which are not found in any other member of the squad.

Pablo Barrios is the third name in the treatment room. The academy product is dealing with a low-grade myofascial injury in his right leg, picked up eight days ago in the Champions League clash against Liverpool. The issue kept him out of the fixtures against Real Sociedad and Osasuna, and his involvement in the derby looks unlikely. With Sorloth and Barrios unavailable and Alvarez racing to recover, the rest of the squad is expected to be at Simeone's disposal.