Ademola Lookman remains a major doubt for Atletico Madrid ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi final first leg showdown against Arsenal.
The Nigerian forward has been one of Diego Simeone’s most influential players since arriving from Atalanta in January, contributing seven goals and four assists in just 18 appearances.
He played a decisive role in Atletico’s European run, scoring twice against Barcelona in the quarter final second leg and also finding the net in the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, a match that ended 2-2 before Atletico lost on penalties.
However, his momentum was halted by a groin injury sustained during that final in Seville. The issue, later confirmed as muscle discomfort, has already ruled him out of recent league fixtures against Elche and Athletic Club.
There had been optimism after Ademola Lookman returned to training on the eve of the Arsenal clash, but Simeone has made it clear that the forward’s availability is still uncertain. “We’ll see if he recovers well tomorrow, because he was still feeling some discomfort today,” the Atletico boss said. “So we’ll see if he can help us tomorrow or not.”
Atletico could receive a boost elsewhere, with David Hancko back in training after recovering from an ankle injury suffered against Barcelona. But they will be without Pablo Barrios, who picked up another hamstring problem in the recent game against Athletic Club and is expected to be sidelined for around a month.
Defensive concerns also remain, with Jose Maria Gimenez still out due to a muscle issue. On a more positive note, Julian Alvarez is back to full fitness after his own injury setback and has declared himself “100 per cent” ready for the tie. Fellow striker Alexander Sorloth is also available after recovering from a recent knock.
With a place in the Champions League final in Budapest at stake, Atletico head into the clash balancing key injury concerns with renewed attacking options, while all eyes remain on whether Lookman can recover in time to feature.
