Diego Simeone: 'Antoine Griezmann is a doubt for Barcelona clash'

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has revealed that Antoine Griezmann is a doubt for Sunday's La Liga clash with Barcelona at Wanda Metropolitano.

The France international was absent for four matches with an ankle injury before making his return against Inter Milan in the Champions League last week.

Griezmann played 105 minutes of the last-16 second leg, which Atletico won 2-1 to set up a penalty shootout, with the capital outfit triumphing to advance to the quarter-finals.

The 32-year-old has not featured in any of Atletico's last four La Liga games, and Simeone has conceded that the attacker is a doubt for the contest at Wanda Metropolitano.

"Tomorrow at noon I will sit down with him and we will see what is best for us and for him," Simeone told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

© Reuters

Griezmann has again been in excellent form for Atletico this season, scoring 19 goals and registering seven assists in 37 appearances in all competitions.

The forward previously represented Barcelona between 2019 and 2022, scoring 35 goals and registering 17 assists in 102 appearances for the Catalan club, before returning to Atletico.

Memphis Depay is likely to start on Sunday if Griezmann is unavailable, and Simeone talked-up the Netherlands international ahead of the contest.

"In some games when he started, he did well. Football players go through stages. He is a great player, I have been saying for a long time, that we need him," added Simeone.

© Reuters

"He has had continuity since he arrived. We need what he did when he came in: strong, aggressive, with all that football and that winning mentality that he has."

Atletico are currently fourth in the La Liga table, six points behind third-placed Barcelona and two points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao.

"The league requires us to be attentive. The championship is complicated because Athletic Club are doing very well and Real Sociedad are also coming strong," said the Atletico boss.

"We are up against a team that we know well because they have hurt us in the last few games. We hope to take the game to where we believe we can do damage."

Atletico have seen Mario Hermoso ruled out of Sunday's game due to a muscular problem, while Jose Gimenez and Thomas Lemar are also unavailable for selection.