Atletico Madrid player ruled out of both games vs Celtic

Celtic’s toughest test in the Champions League this season is expected to be the two games against Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side are the clear favourites to top the group, which also has Lazio and Feyenoord. The Hoops will take on the Spanish giants in late October at Parkhead and then in early November away at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Getting anything out of either of those games would have to be considered a positive result for Celtic. One has to remember that their recent record in Europe is not great.

Last season, they put in some very promising performances. But ultimately, they were not able to win a single game. Incidentally, last season they were in the same group as Real Madrid, Rojiblancos’ crosstown rivals.

The Hoops lost both those games, 3-0 at home and 5-1 away at the Santiago Bernabeu. It will be interesting to see if Celtic do better against Atletico Madrid this time around.

Atletico Madrid player ruled out of both games vs Celtic

Atletico Madrid have suffered a major injury blow recently. It looks like Thomas Lemar will not be available for the foreseeable future.

As tweeted out by Fabrizio Romano, Lemar has sustained an Achilles tendon rupture. He will need surgery and will be out for a long time, around 6 months.

Of course, it is never nice to see a player get injured. We can only wish Lemar the best of luck in his recovery and hope that he is back to fitness and on the pitch as soon as possible.

Even without Lemar, Atletico Madrid are a very good team. They did suffer a heavy defeat at the weekend, losing 3-0 to Valencia. On the other hand, Lazio lost as well, 3-1 against Juventus. They currently sit 14th in the Serie A table. To be honest, this group might be more open than many people think.