Simeone explains Cuti Romero's absence without abandoning his usual philosophy

With Cuti Romero left out of the squad to face Stuttgart, Diego Simeone had to step out and explain something nobody in Madrid disputes anymore: just how much the Argentine center back means to this version of Atletico. He did so without dodging the question, but also without straying from the formula that has kept him in the Atletico dugout for 15 years.

"I think Cuti's importance is clear, but obviously the collective makes all of us better, and we're not going to stray from that line we've followed for 15 years: the team matters more than any individual, and that won't change," the coach said during his pre-match press conference at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart, the venue for Tuesday's Champions League match.

Atletico arrives on a run of six straight wins, a streak that invites euphoria but one Simeone prefers to leave at the locker room door. The hosts, for their part, have picked up six points so far in the competition and are anything but a comfortable team to visit.

"Whatever happened before, I forget, because it no longer counts. What will matter, and what you'll judge us on, is what we do this Tuesday. You'll quickly forget everything you're praising now and judge us on what we do this Tuesday. We're going to have a tough match against a team that started the Champions League well, a physically strong team with clear ideas about pressing man to man almost always on your own turf, and dropping very deep when they have to defend," the coach warned, making clear he isn't expecting an easy night.

A visit steeped in history, and a midfield question mark

There's a curious detail tied to this trip: Atletico won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, and it happened right there in Stuttgart. Simeone didn't dodge the memory, though he didn't dwell on it either. "It's always nice to return to places where important things have happened. It's clear this match will demand everything from us if we want important things to happen again. I'm focused on the opponent we're about to face," he said.

In midfield, the question is who partners the team between Morten Hjulmand and Johnny Cardoso, with Koke also unavailable. "The other day, Hjulmand had a very good match, and Cardoso has been putting in important performances, aside from the virus that kept him out against Espanyol. We'll see how he is and how he feels," the coach explained, unwilling to rule out either player.

What he did make clear is that no starting spot is untouchable in his mind when it comes to managing minutes. "We need everyone. We need freshness, people who read the match they're asked to play correctly, whether it's 90, 60 or 20 minutes, it doesn't matter to me. The only thing that matters to me is the team's understanding, and right now, the players coming in are doing very well," he said.

On Jan Oblak, the Slovenian goalkeeper, Simeone praised his evolution playing with his feet "like every goalkeeper in the world has done" and stressed that his involvement in build-up play has been key to the start of the season. Still, he also had a message for Juan Musso: "this is a group effort, and we're going to need everyone, for sure."

Can a conclusion already be drawn about the level of this squad? For Simeone, not yet. "We're still a work in progress, the team is growing, the new guys who've arrived are adapting bit by bit, some much faster than others, and that's good for the group," he said, leaving the final verdict for when the season is over.