Diego Simeone Addresses Injury Concerns and Team Development Ahead of Osasuna Match

Diego Simeone walked into the press room with La Liga noise swirling around him and criticism snapping at his heels. On Wednesday, Osasuna come to town. On Tuesday, the Atlético Madrid coach made it clear he is not backing down.

No Julian Álvarez for Osasuna

The first issue was the one every Atlético fan wanted resolved: Julian Álvarez.

Would he make it in time for the sixth-round clash?

“Based on what we discussed with the medical staff, he is still in the recovery phase, and he will not be available for tomorrow's match,” Simeone said, shutting the door on any late surprise.

That immediately threw the spotlight onto Jonathan David, who impressed in Atlético’s last outing. Simeone left the decision hanging.

“Jonathan came into the last match very well, and we will assess whether he will start or come on in the second half, and we will make that decision tomorrow morning,” he explained. No hint, no wink. Just a reminder that the forward line remains in flux.

Under fire, but still collecting points

Away from the injury updates, the room turned to the growing criticism around Atlético’s performances and schedule. The numbers say one thing: six points from a possible nine away from home. The noise around the team says something very different.

“At first, I was not talking about the fixtures but about the rest period,” Simeone clarified. “We returned late from San Sebastian and from the Champions League, and that is natural.”

Then he went straight at the negativity.

“We have become used to the negativity coming from some, so as soon as any opportunity for criticism appears we find it present, but this is part of the development, and so we welcome it.”

A jab, but also a shrug. Simeone knows this terrain. He has lived in it for more than a decade.

A team under construction

The coach then pulled the lens back to the bigger picture. This is not the same Atlético, not yet.

“We are a team under construction. 7 players left and 5 new players joined, in addition to several elements from the academy, and the matter is not as simple as it appears,” he said.

The message was clear: this is a rebuild, not a quick patch-up.

“But we are a competitive team and we will continue to improve as we play matches. That is what I feel, we are in the building phase and we need the time that the world of football does not give you.”

Time. The one thing elite football rarely offers. Simeone is asking for it anyway.

Call to the Calderón faithful

If the squad is still taking shape, Simeone knows exactly what he wants from the stands against Osasuna.

“What we need is to put in a strong match against an opponent going through the same need as us,” he said. Osasuna, like Atlético, are searching for stability and points.

“We need the energy of the fans and for the players to translate that on the pitch, as we are coming from a difficult match and we hope to find the same usual enthusiastic atmosphere.”

The demand was simple: make the stadium roar, and let the team feed off it.

Mourinho, penalties and a laugh

There was a brief detour into familiar controversy when José Mourinho’s comments were raised. The Roma coach had expressed surprise that journalists had not grilled Simeone about penalties awarded to Barcelona and Atlético.

Simeone’s response? A laugh.

“I have nothing to say or comment on,” he replied, refusing to be dragged into a fresh storm.

No debate on the Ballon d'Or

When the topic switched to the Ballon d'Or, there was no hesitation, no diplomacy.

“Messi, without the slightest doubt. After the World Cup he delivered and at this age? Messi without the slightest doubt,” Simeone said.

No caveats, no alternative candidates. For him, the argument is closed.

Adapting to a strange calendar

The final theme was the calendar and an unusual long pause in the season.

“Stopping for three weeks is something new, but we try to adapt to everything. The players have the complete desire, and this is part of the game, and we are in the place we chose to be in,” he concluded.

Atlético head into the Osasuna clash sitting fifth in La Liga with 10 points from five games: three wins, one draw, one defeat.

The table says they are in the race. The coach insists they are still under construction. The question now is whether the fans, and the critics, will give this version of Atlético Madrid the time Simeone is fighting for.