Julián Álvarez ruled out against Sevilla as Atlético shuts the door on Barcelona move

Three straight training sessions without setting foot on the field with the group, plus a comment from Diego Simeone that leaves no room for doubt: Julián Álvarez will not play against Sevilla. The Argentine forward has been dealing with an illness that has kept him out of team training since Wednesday, and this Friday afternoon he could barely get through an individualized session with a fitness coach at the Centro Deportivo de Majadahonda.

The club explained that Álvarez remains in constant contact with the medical staff and that he's already feeling better, though not well enough to rejoin the team's normal routine. As a result, the forward will miss Saturday's match against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, a game Atlético had been counting on to help restore some consistency on the road.

Simeone didn't dance around the subject when asked about the situation after Friday's training session.

Obviously, he won't be there tomorrow.Diego Simeone

The Argentine coach was quick to add that the door remains open for whenever Álvarez is fit to return to full training.

I'm still in the same position, thinking from a sporting standpoint about how to help him in the best way so he keeps being the hugely important player he is for us, and focusing on what's in front of me, which is Sevilla. From the moment Julián comes back to train with us, we'll give him everything we've always given him so he feels important, because that's what he is for our team.Diego Simeone

A transfer window closing with no Barcelona in sight

What's happening in the locker room can't be separated from what's happening outside it. Atlético has already told the player, both publicly and privately, that he will not be sold to Barcelona under any circumstances, which happens to be exactly the destination he had in mind. With the transfer window closing in just five days, Álvarez really has two options left: stay with the Rojiblancos, a club he's under contract with until 2030 and that makes no secret of its intention to keep him, or leave for a transfer to a club other than Barcelona that meets a valuation of around 150 million euros. The English press has floated Arsenal as a possible suitor, though any deal would first depend on the player himself giving his approval.

Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the club's CEO, also didn't hold back in comments to Movistar on Thursday.

Our intention, and my personal dream, is for him to stay with us, to keep playing for Atlético de Madrid. Obviously, if he came to the conclusion that being in Madrid and at Atlético de Madrid is incompatible, we would look for some alternative, but it would never be to Fútbol Club Barcelona.Miguel Ángel Gil Marín

Gil Marín went further, suggesting that the player's inner circle might bear some responsibility for the emotional toll Álvarez is going through.

There have been people who have taken it upon themselves to deceive him and confuse him. And I'm truly sorry about that, because I know him, we've been working with him for a while now, he's a great person, a great professional and a great player, completely confused and right now going through a very, very difficult situation, both personally and professionally.Miguel Ángel Gil Marín

With the Sevilla match right around the corner and the transfer window racing against the clock, Atlético is dealing with two fronts at once: staying competitive without its top attacking reference and finally settling the future of a player who, as of today, is training alone.