Llorente sits out as Simeone waits on 2 Arsenal return leg calls

Llorente was one of the names Diego Simeone held back in Valencia, where Atlético Madrid changed its entire lineup while waiting on Julián Álvarez and Giuliano Simeone before the Arsenal return leg. The move came with the first leg still sitting at 1-1 and the coach managing minutes around a semifinal that now shifts to London.

Álvarez and Giuliano Simeone

Álvarez did not play in Valencia after suffering an ankle sprain against Arsenal on Wednesday, when he also remained Atlético’s top scorer with 20 goals across all competitions. Sorloth is right behind him with 19, a narrow gap that shows how much Atlético has leaned on its forwards even before the knockout tie tightens again.

Giuliano Simeone also sat out Saturday’s match after taking a blow to the waist and being substituted at halftime against Arsenal. That left Diego Simeone to push through Valencia without two players who had been central to the previous European night.

Giménez, Oblak and Musso

José María Giménez began a gradual return to the group on Friday after a muscle problem suffered on April 4, giving Atlético a possible defensive boost after eight matches out. Jan Oblak is expected back in goal in London, while Juan Musso handled the net in Valencia.

Marcos Llorente and David Hancko were rested in Friday’s session and stayed out of the squad for Mestalla, joining Pablo Barrios and Nico González on the unavailable list because of muscle injuries. Marc Pubill is fixed in defense, Matteo Ruggeri is set at left back, Koke Resurrección and Johnny Cardoso are set in midfield, and Ademola Lookman and Antoine Griezmann are set to start higher up.

Madrid to London

The next checkpoint comes with the squad list for London, which was due to become public on Monday as Atlético left its training ground in Majadahonda at 10.00 a.m. and flew at 11.00 a.m. Simeone’s quote for the trip summed up the plan: "Vamos a ir a Valencia a competir con gente fresca".