Alvarez Left Out of Atletico Madrid Squad for Marseille Clash

Diego Simeone, the head coach of Atletico Madrid, has excluded Argentine striker Julian Alvarez from the squad for the match against Marseille, delaying the player's debut with the team this season.

Spanish newspaper "Sport" reported that Alvarez's exclusion was expected, especially since he has only undergone physical training for five days. Moreover, the player does not wish to continue with Atletico Madrid, as he is eager to transfer to Barcelona.

The newspaper reported that Alvarez informed Simeone during a meeting they had last Wednesday about his lack of enthusiasm to play with the team. The player and his entourage have requested an urgent meeting with the club's executive director, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, who was out of Madrid on vacation.

Atletico Madrid's roster includes most of the team, except for the injured Alexander Sørloth, along with the international players who joined the preparation period this week: Rodrigo De Paul, Marcos Llorente, Juan Musso, and Julian Alvarez. They were not scheduled to travel to Marseille.

Attention turns to Atletico's opening match in the league against Malaga on August 19, as international players are expected to be included in the squad if they have no physical issues. Simeone remains committed to relying on Alvarez as the team's main striker, despite the player feeling mentally unprepared to continue in the current situation.