Diego Simeone left Julián Álvarez out of Atlético Madrid's squad for the match against Séville on Saturday, August 29, 2026, after the club published its list of summoned players for the third day of the Liga. The omission is the clearest change in Atlético's plans for Seville Vs Atlético Madrid, and it came as the club confirmed a group that did not include the Argentine forward.
That squad announcement matters because it was made on the day Atlético Madrid released its selections, just hours before the league match, turning a routine list into the main team news of the afternoon. The call-up also included Oblak, Musso, Esquivel, Llorente, Pubill, Giménez, Hancko, Grimaldo, Cuti Romero, Domínguez, Dani Martínez, Koke, Hjulmand, Barrios, Cardoso, Baena, Mendoza, Castillo, Kang-in, Arnau Ortiz, Carlos Martín, Giuliano, Lookman and Kubo, while Álvarez stayed out.
Simeone later said at a press conference that the decision followed Álvarez's absence from some collective training sessions. He said the forward had refused to take part in those sessions, putting the omission on a path that had been building before the squad list was made public. The coach did not pair that explanation with any further detail on how long the absences lasted, leaving the decision tied to conduct rather than form.
At the same time, Cristian Romero returned to the squad after overcoming physical problems, giving Atlético Madrid an added defensive option for a match that comes in the middle of the opening Liga run. That contrast is hard to miss: one Argentine player comes back into the group, while another is pushed out of it as the club manages a week of tension around its forward line.
For Atlético, the immediate consequence is simple. Simeone goes into Séville with one fewer attacking name and one more public problem to manage. What happens after the final whistle is the next question, because the club has not said whether Álvarez's absence is a one-off response to missed training or the start of a longer break with the squad.
