Julian Alvarez has been a source of concern at Atletico Madrid following his absence from recent matches, with the club now confirming the Argentine is dealing with an injury. With less than a week until the first leg of their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinal, his availability for the clash against Arsenal is reportedly in question.
According to Diario Sport, Alvarez is currently managing a muscular complaint that limited his involvement in the weekend match against Athletic Club. The issue stems from the Copa del Rey final, the last game he played, in which he was on the pitch for the full 120 minutes, pushing his body to its limits.
Head coach Diego Simeone had hoped to give Alvarez some minutes against Athletic Club to keep him sharp ahead of the Champions League tie and ensure the Copa del Rey final would not be his last competitive action before the semifinal. Instead, the former Manchester City striker did not feature at any point, skipping the pre-match warmup, the halftime session and any touchline activity that might have allowed for a late substitution appearance.
The first leg against Arsenal is scheduled for Wednesday the 29th, with Atletico hosting at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano before the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. Even if Alvarez is cleared to play in the opener, he will do so having gone ten days without competitive action, which is far from ideal heading into a match of this magnitude.
The forward had already begun targeted treatment sessions with the club’s medical staff prior to the team’s departure for the weekend fixture, working to ease the discomfort and accelerate his return. According to Sport, the plan is to manage the muscular issue through rest and physiotherapy to ensure he is available as an option against Arsenal.
Pablo Barrios has already been ruled out with a muscular injury to his left thigh, effectively ending his involvement for the remainder of the season. David Hancko, Ademola Lookman and José María Gimenez are three other key starters working against the clock to be fit, but it is the uncertainty surrounding Álvarez that is generating the most concern within the club.
Alvarez: a key piece in keeping the Champions League dream alive
It has been a bittersweet season for Atletico Madrid overall, with a disappointing La Liga campaign that has seen them slip to fourth following Villarreal’s rise, and falling short in both the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey. With the Champions League now their only remaining shot at a major trophy, getting Alvarez on the pitch has never felt more important.
While his numbers this season fall short of last year’s outstanding output of 29 goals and eight assists, his current tally of 19 goals and nine assists understates how influential he has been in the biggest moments. A brace that included a stunning free kick against Real Madrid, a goal in the Copa del Rey final and another crucial strike from a dead ball against Barcelona in the quarterfinal series all underline his value when the stakes are highest.
Alvarez currently ranks fourth among all scorers in this season’s Champions League with nine goals in 13 appearances, his best ever return in a single European campaign. With Arsenal having conceded just five goals across the entire competition, the least of any side remaining, having the Argentine available could prove to be the decisive factor in Atletico’s bid to reach the final.