Julian Alvarez Returns to Atletico Squad for Villarreal Clash

Diego Simeone is bringing Julian Alvarez back into the fold – and he’s made it clear he will protect his striker when Atletico Madrid walk into a tense Metropolitano on Sunday.

The Argentina international will return to the matchday squad for the La Liga clash against Villarreal after missing Atletico’s opening win over Malaga while he worked on his fitness following his post-World Cup break.

“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 football side of the story is simple: Simeone regains a key forward as Atletico look to build early momentum in the league. The rest is anything but simple.

Alvarez pushed to leave in the summer. Atletico refused. Barcelona and Real Madrid both came in with offers; the club turned them away and held their ground. The player stayed. The relationship with a section of the stands did not.

Against Malaga, parts of the home support aimed insulting chants at Alvarez, venting their anger at his desire to move on. The reaction set the stage for a potentially hostile reception when his name is read out again.

Simeone has already said the fans must be respected. He did not row back on that. But he drew a firm line when it came to how he sees Alvarez.

“Obviously I don't share in any insults or slights. Let that be absolutely clear,” he said. “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.

“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.”

The message is unmistakable: whatever the summer saga, Simeone still builds with Alvarez in mind.

Across the divide, the interest has not gone away, even if the microphones are now met with a straight bat. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, pressed several times on Saturday about whether the Spanish champions had abandoned their pursuit of the forward, refused to be drawn, insisting he would not speak about players from other clubs.

So Alvarez returns to the squad with two giants still lurking in the background, a portion of his own fans ready to whistle, and a coach standing squarely in his corner. How he responds now will shape far more than just Atletico’s next 90 minutes.