Espanyol vs Atletico de Madrid - Atletico boss Diego Simeone: Espanyol game is our priority

Posted Saturday, April 09, 2016 by PA

Diego Simeone has vowed to pick a full-strength team when Atletico Madrid visit Espanyol in the Primera Division on Saturday evening.

Atletico realistically require victory if they are to maintain their title challenge given leaders Barcelona remain six points in front of them, but Simeone is also aware they host Barca in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

They presently trail Barca 2-1, but with the reigning champions comfortably ahead in the league and expecting a forgiving run-in, the Champions League could yet represent Atletico's greatest hope of glory.

Simeone, who will start Fernando Torres despite his red card in Tuesday's 2-1 first-leg defeat, told reporters in quotes published on FourFourTwo: "It will be four days between one game and the other, it's a good number of days to be able to recover, (in training) they worked very well.

"We still have not decided on the starting XI but it's clear that (the Espanyol) game is the priority, without a doubt, and since it's the priority, we'll think of putting the people who are ready to see a great match against Espanyol.

"Espanyol is a team with a great counter-attack, which have had good results in the last matches.

"I'm worried about the (Espanyol) game, nothing else matters.

"(Against Barca) the team showed the same strength, the bravery to play, and now we have a very tough opponent in Espanyol.

"We'll have to play in a different way than we did on Tuesday.

"We have to worry about doing well ourselves and then, whatever happens (in the title race), so be it."

Of Torres, whose loan deal from AC Milan expires at the end of the season, Simeone added: "Torres did a very good job (against Barcelona), he will play as a starter again. Over the coming days the club will inform on what the decision is (if he will stay) in this regard."

Defender Nacho Monsalve is in contention after being handed his debut in last week's win against Real Betis, as is Thomas Partey, particularly given it would not be a surprise if Simeone did make changes.

For Espanyol, a run of two wins and two draws has done much to strengthen their hopes of retaining their Primera Division status.

They remain 13th, with 36 points and seven league fixtures to play, and coach Constantin Galca has only one reported injury, that of defender Anaitz Arbilla.

Galca must make a decision over who to select as his sole striker after Felipe Caicedo replaced Gerard Moreno early in the second half of last weekend's 1-1 draw at Malaga, but is otherwise expected to make few changes.