Atletico Madrid XI vs Athletic Club – Predicted lineup and team news

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The Football Faithful

·5 September 2026

Atletico Madrid XI vs Athletic Club – Predicted lineup and team news

Atlético Madrid head to San Mamés to face Athletic Club in their fourth La Liga fixture of the season, with both sides meeting on Saturday evening.

Atlético arrive in strong shape, holding third place in the table after remaining unbeaten in their first three league games. Diego Simeone’s refreshed squad has collected seven points so far, scoring seven goals and allowing only three. Their campaign began with a 2-0 home win against Málaga CF, followed by a 2-2 draw with Villarreal CF, and most recently an eye-catching 3-1 away triumph over Sevilla FC.

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Atletico Madrid team news

The visitors travel to Bilbao with few injury concerns, and a key storyline has been settled after a tense summer transfer window.

Forward Julián Álvarez is back in the matchday squad; although he missed recent training sessions because of illness and was surrounded by heavy speculation about a move to Barcelona, he completed full training this week and is available for selection.

Atlético will be without their main centre-forward, Alexander Sørloth, who is still working back from a muscle injury sustained in mid-August, and midfielder Obed Vargas remains sidelined.

On a positive note, late-window loan arrival Jonathan David has been named in the squad and could feature for the first time in La Liga action.

Defensively, Robin Le Normand is expected to walk straight back into the starting XI after completing his suspension.