Atlético de Madrid have confirmed that Pablo Barrios is suffering from a low-grade myofascial injury in his right leg, an issue that surfaced after the midfielder was withdrawn during Atlético’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. The club have already ruled him out of Sunday’s trip to face Real Sociedad in San Sebastián, while stopping short of confirming whether he will be fit for the following fixtures against Osasuna and, ultimately, Real Madrid.

A key man in the early rounds

The timing stings for Diego Simeone. Atlético have picked up seven points from their opening four LaLiga matches – two wins, a draw and a defeat – and Barrios had established himself as one of the more important figures in that run, as Football España’s recent player ratings reflected. He featured in all four league games, starting three of them, racking up 294 minutes and an assist.

He was also in the XI at Anfield for Atlético’s Champions League opener, playing 77 minutes before being taken off in the second half. That substitution, it now turns out, was the first visible sign of the problem the club’s medical staff have since confirmed.

What the club actually said

Atlético’s official statement, issued this Saturday, drew a clear line between what is certain and what is not. According to Sport, the club said: “Pablo Barrios no estará disponible para San Sebastián. El centrocampista acabó con molestias el encuentro ante el Liverpool y, tras las pruebas realizadas por los servicios médicos del club, se ha confirmado que sufre una lesión miofascial de bajo grado en la pierna derecha.”

That confirms the diagnosis and rules him out against Real Sociedad, but it does not put a firm number of weeks on his recovery. Sport’s own reporting frames Osasuna and the derby against Real Madrid as probable absences rather than certainties, a distinction Atlético’s statement itself does not go beyond.

A demanding week just got harder

Losing Barrios, even temporarily, forces Simeone into further reshuffling of a midfield already reduced by other absentees, a pattern Football España detailed last week when assessing the squad’s fitness situation. Comuniate, the fantasy football outlet, has gone further than Atlético’s own statement, reporting that Barrios’ participation in the derby is considered very unlikely and suggesting he may not return to competition until after the international break – a claim that remains their own assessment rather than confirmed club information.

For now, Atlético’s position is limited to what has been officially confirmed: Barrios misses Real Sociedad, and his path back for Osasuna and the visit of Real Madrid depends on how the injury responds in the coming days.

Rodrigo Peñalba Posted by