Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is expecting Celtic to provide a ‘very difficult’ test for his team on Wednesday night and even considered resting his star man for the occasion.
Atletico picked up a strong 3-0 victory away to Celta Vigo on Saturday thanks to a hat-trick from Antoine Griezmann. But the Frenchman could have missed out on the win altogether, with Simeone revealing he was almost rested ahead of their trip to Scotland.
However, one of their other star attacking talents could miss out on facing the Bhoys after picking up an injury in La Liga action.
Simeone said of the Celtic game [Daily Record, 23/10 print edition]: “We are now thinking about Celtic and expect a very difficult game on Wednesday. I want us to rest well ahead of the game in Glasgow because we put a lot of effort into this one, especially Griezmann. We thought about resting him but decided against it.
“We have always taken it game by game and now we only think about Celtic. Samuel Lino took a heavy blow to the knee and will be assessed. I hope it’s not a major injury.”
Atletico have started the season strongly and only sit three points adrift of league leaders Real Madrid, also possessing a game in hand.
They’re also leading the way in the Group E of the UEFA Champions League, level on points with Lazio. With Feyenoord just one point behind in third, the Spaniards will be very motivated to beat Celtic midweek.
It’s a very tall order for Brendan Rodgers’ side to pick up a win. The Scottish champions will be underdogs on the night despite having a home advantage.
Still, it’s the kind of test these players will relish. Fans have been waiting a long time for a big statement win at this elite level and, backed by a sold-out crowd, anything is possible when the whistle blows.