Overview
- Atlético confirmed a muscle injury in Barrios’ right thigh after tests, and he has started rehabilitation without a fixed return date following his early exit in the Feb. 5 win over Real Betis.
- Journalist Belén Sánchez García reports an expected absence of roughly four weeks, pointing to a possible return in early March.
- His status for the March 3 Copa del Rey return leg at Camp Nou remains uncertain.
- The layoff also affects Champions League play-off ties against Club Brugge and several La Liga matches.
- Diego Simeone is weighing midfield alternatives, naming 20-year-old Rodrigo Mendoza as an option while considering Koke and Marcos Llorente as Johnny Cardoso continues his recovery.