Weekend Briefing: Alvaro Morata added to lengthy Atletico Madrid injury list

Atletico Madrid injury crisis deepens

Atletico Madrid's disappointing start to the year continued with a 1-0 loss away to Real Madrid on Saturday and their hopes of turning things around are diminished by a deepening injury crisis.

Seven-goal top scorer Alvaro Morata became the latest casualty for Atleti, suffering a muscle injury during the derby defeat and leaving the pitch just three minutes into the second half.

And the club received further bad news this week when it was announced that England right-back Kieran Trippier, absent since early January, has undergone groin surgery.

The pair have joined Joao Felix (leg), Diego Costa (back), Koke, Jose Gimenez (both muscle injuries) and Santiago Arias (groin) in the treatment room, leaving Atleti depleted at an important stage of the season.

Diego Simeone's side are sixth in La Liga – three points outside the top four – and have just two more league games to play before taking on Liverpool in the home leg of the Champions League, round of 16.

Atletico are hopeful Costa will regain full fitness in time for the Liverpool tie.

Hammers wingers on the mend

West Ham have not had much luck on the injury front this season but they received some good news this week with Felipe Anderson returning to training.

The Brazilian is reportedly unlikely to feature at Manchester City but should be in contention for the visit to Liverpool later this month.

Another contender for a recall at Liverpool is Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko, who is close to recovering from a muscle strain.

However, Anderson and Yarmolenko may find it difficult to get back into the side if new signing Jarrod Bowen gets the chance to impress at the Etihad this weekend.

It is not all good news for Hammers' manager David Moyes, who faces being without Jack Wilshere (hernia surgery) for the rest of the season.

Blackburn Rovers facing midfield shortage

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray admitted to missing out on signing "one or two" transfer targets on transfer deadline day and his frustration grew on Saturday when key midfielder Lewis Holtby suffering a knee ligament injury in the 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough.

Holtby's injury creates another void in the attacking midfield position following injuries to Bradley Dack (knee) and Joe Rothwell (hamstring).

Mowbray hoped to add midfield cover in the last throes of the transfer window but his plans failed to bear fruit, leaving Blackburn short of quality in a key area of the pitch.

The injuries could have a telling impact on the rest of the season for Rovers, who are six points outside the top six.

Mowbray could not disguise his disappointment after Holtby's injury.

He said: "It's a big blow with Lewis Holtby. Lewis has shown that he can score and that he can do what Dack does. He scored two and should have scored three against Sheffield Wednesday, and that's what he brings."

Ipswich Town problems piling up

Ipswich's Sky Bet League One promotion push has been severely dented by back-to-back defeats and they head to Sunderland this weekend with a depleted squad.

The Tractor Boys lost 4-1 at home to Peterborough last Saturday and the disappointment was compounded by an injury to left wing-back Luke Garbutt (thigh) and a tenth booking of the season for right wing-back Gwion Edwards, triggering a two-match suspension.

Edwards and Garbutt will be absent at the Stadium of Light and Ipswich manager Paul Lambert is sweating on the fitness of midfield duo Emyr Huws (ankle) and Teddy Bishop (knee), who missed the Peterborough defeat with minor injuries.

Lambert said he was hopeful of Huws and Bishop winning their fitness race but was less optimistic about defender Josh Earl (cheekbone).

Vale handed midfield boost

Playoff-chasing Port Vale are looking a lot stronger going into the final 15 games of the Sky Bet League Two season with midfield duo Manny Oyeleke and Jake Taylor closing in on first-team returns.

Vale manager John Askey has suggested that Oyeleke (hamstring) could be involved in their weekend trip to Northampton, while Nottingham Forest loanee Taylor (knee) is a contender to feature at Forest Green next Tuesday.

Taylor (five goals in 18 league appearances) has already had a big influence on the season but Vale fans are just as excited about the return of Oyeleke, who was one of their best players in the 2018-19 campaign.

Oyeleke has played just three times this season due to a recurring hamstring problem.

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