Atletico Madrid confirm Julian Alvarez decision for Liverpool Champions League fixture

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has included Julian Alvarez in his travelling squad for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

Alvarez told Atletico that he wanted to leave during the summer transfer window, with Barcelona and also Arsenal pushing to sign the Argentina international.

It is understood that Atletico were prepared to reluctantly do business with Arsenal, but the Red and Whites outright refused to sell the forward to Barcelona.

Alvarez was absent for Atletico's La Liga clash with Sevilla at the end of August but did return off the bench against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday - a match that Simeone's side lost 3-0.

The 26-year-old has now been named in the squad for the Liverpool clash at Anfield.

La lista para Liverpool ?⚪️ pic.twitter.com/8h9OPekMbO
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 8, 2026

Alvarez in Atletico squad for Liverpool fixture

Alexander Sorloth and Arnau Ortiz are both unavailable for selection due to injury and suspension respectively, but Atletico are otherwise in strong shape.

Ahead of the clash with Athletic, Simeone insisted that Alvarez was ready to move on from what occurred during the summer transfer window.

"Julian Alvarez will be in the squad tomorrow. He's training well, and we expect the best from him, just as we do from all his teammates," Simeone told reporters last week.

"For me, life is full of opportunities. And Julian now has an opportunity. A lot of the time, we spend our lives judging, and we need to worry about doing that less and learning more. I hope this has served as a learning experience for him.

"I hope he's happy and, as [Paulo] Futre [Atletico Madrid's director of football] told him yesterday in a lovely video... that he shows it by scoring goals."

Alvarez's future at Atletico is far from secure

Alvarez will now be with the Red and Whites until at least January, but it is a transfer saga that is likely to be reignited in 2027, as Barcelona remain keen on his services.

That said, the Argentine's release clause is €500m (£432m), while he has a contract with Atletico until the summer of 2030, so the capital giants are in a strong position.

Simeone faces a big decision over whether to start Alvarez at Anfield, as Atletico look to begin their Champions League league stage campaign on a winning note.