Simeone leaves the door open for Julian Alvarez but rules him out against Sevilla

Three straight training sessions missed at the Cerro del Espino and an "illness" that nobody quite managed to explain. That's the strange moment Julian Alvarez finds himself in at Atletico Madrid, and the question hanging over the Metropolitano is no longer tactical but personal: is he staying or going? Diego Simeone, previewing the Matchday 3 LaLiga clash with Sevilla, once again had to sit down in front of the microphones and answer for the Cordoba native.

Cholo didn't close any doors. Quite the opposite. He chose to lean on what the club had already communicated and repeat his usual stance: protect the player and back him as a central piece of the project. "I think the club was very firm and clear about everything it explained and everything that's going to happen. My position remains the same: from a sporting standpoint, I hope to help him in the best way possible so he continues being the vital player he is for us," he explained.

What's certain, for now, is that Julian won't be available to face Sevilla. Simeone was direct about that, though he left the window open for what comes as soon as the former River Plate man returns to training with the group: "Once he's back training with us, we're going to give him everything we've always given him so he feels, as he has felt, as important as he is to this team."

The phrase that got repeated most afterward on social media and on the analysis shows was another one, shorter and more ambiguous. Asked again whether there's room for the forward to rejoin the squad, the Argentine coach offered a line that sounded like a direct message:

"Everything can be turned around as long as there's health."Diego Simeone

The locker room, unaffected by the noise

Beyond Julian's future, Simeone wanted to clear up any doubts about the mood inside the squad. In his view, the saga surrounding the forward isn't spreading to the rest of the group or affecting preparation for what's ahead this season. "I don't see it. I think the players are working very well. We've had good matches against Malaga and Villarreal and we're focused on having a good match against Villarreal tomorrow," the coach said, stressing that the group's focus remains on the schedule.

The press conference, tense at times given the persistent questioning, ended with a wink from Cholo himself toward the media. With a bit of humor, he reminded reporters of a personal milestone nobody had brought up: "You forgot to congratulate me for reaching 800 matches in charge." A detail that, amid the uncertainty over Julian Alvarez, helped ease the tension in the room a little.

With Sevilla up next, Atletico needs to pick up points without one of its most decisive players of recent months. Whether Julian Alvarez remains a Colchonero is, for now, in the hands of the player himself and that health Simeone set as the only condition for everything to turn around.