Atlético Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios is reportedly set to miss both UEFA Champions League Semi-finals legs against Arsenal due to a muscle injury in his left thigh. This was revealed by Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle.
The setback comes at a difficult moment for Atlético, who had recently received positive news with Jan Oblak, Marc Pubill and Rodrigo Mendoza all returning to team training ahead of major European fixtures.
Romano revealed:
Pablo Barrios will miss both games against Arsenal with muscle injury. He’d try to recover in case of potential UCL final, reports @marca.
Softfootball understands that Barrios had only recently returned from an earlier thigh problem before suffering another issue during Atlético’s dramatic 3–2 La Liga win over Athletic Club Bilbao on April 25. He was forced off during the match, raising immediate concern over his availability.
The 22-year-old has become an important midfield presence, thanks to his energy, ball recovery, and ability to progress play under pressure. Losing him for both legs would represent a major tactical blow for manager Diego Simeone.
There remains hope that Barrios could recover in time for a potential Champions League final should Atlético progress past Arsenal, but for now the focus will be on rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson is set to return to Chelsea in June after FC Bayern Munich decided not to trigger the €65 million buy option in his loan agreement.
The decision was confirmed by Bayern director Max Eberl, who made clear that the German club will not make the move permanent.
