Simeone Includes Julian Alvarez in Atletico Madrid Squad Amid Transfer Controversy

Diego Simeone will bring Julian Alvarez back into the Atletico Madrid squad on Sunday, dropping the Argentina forward straight into the eye of the storm for the La Liga clash with Villarreal.

Alvarez, who pushed to leave in the summer and attracted bids from both Barcelona and Real Madrid, stayed put after Atletico refused to sell. The decision kept a key striker at the club, but it also lit a fuse with sections of the fanbase.

The World Cup winner missed Atletico’s opening league win over Malaga on Wednesday, still short of fitness after his post-tournament holiday. That absence ends now.

"Yes, he's going to be included in the squad list tomorrow and he's doing better," Simeone told reporters on Saturday. "Obviously, he's still getting up to speed, like all his teammates."

The reception he gets at the Metropolitano will be anything but warm. Against Malaga, some Atletico supporters aimed insulting chants at Alvarez, a clear backlash to his desire to move on.

Simeone understands the anger, but he has drawn his own line.

"Obviously I don't share in any insults or slights. Let that be absolutely clear," he said. For the coach, the equation is simple: Alvarez is too important to be treated as anything other than central to Atletico’s ambitions.

"Julian is a hugely important player for achieving the goals we have as a team. We need him, we're going to look after him," Simeone insisted. "That's from a sporting standpoint, and we're going to stand by him. Why? Because he's our player, and as long as there are players at Atletico Madrid who are mine, I'm going to look after them."

So Alvarez returns to a squad that needs his goals and movement, but walks into a stadium where a section of his own fans have already turned on him. How he handles that first touch, that first missed chance, could shape the tone of his season.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are still hovering in the background of the story. Coach Hansi Flick, repeatedly pressed on Saturday about whether the Spanish champions had abandoned their pursuit of Alvarez, refused to be drawn in, sticking to the old manager’s code of not speaking about players from other clubs.

For now, Alvarez is Simeone’s problem, Simeone’s project, and Simeone’s gamble. On Sunday night, the stands will deliver their verdict.