{"id":901552,"date":"2026-04-26T02:44:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T07:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/26\/will-ademola-lookman-play-vs-arsenal-atletico-boss-simeone-offers-key-fitness-update\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T02:44:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T07:44:45","slug":"will-ademola-lookman-play-vs-arsenal-atletico-boss-simeone-offers-key-fitness-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/26\/will-ademola-lookman-play-vs-arsenal-atletico-boss-simeone-offers-key-fitness-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Ademola Lookman play vs Arsenal? Atl\u00e9tico boss Simeone offers key fitness update"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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\"Soccer<\/p>\n

Ademola Lookman. Copyright: xHarveyxMurphy\/ IMAGO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Atl\u00e9tico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has given a cautious but reassuring update on Ademola Lookman after the forward picked up an injury<\/a> in April\u2019s Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, Soccernet.ng reports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Lookman was forced off in the 62nd minute of the match at La Cartuja after feeling a sharp pain in the second half. The Nigerian signalled to the bench immediately, raising concerns during a high-intensity contest.<\/p>\n

Medical checks, including an MRI scan carried out on Monday, later confirmed the issue as an adductor muscle problem. Fortunately for Atl\u00e9tico, the injury was diagnosed as minor discomfort and muscle swelling rather than a serious tear. The club\u2019s medical staff have since placed Lookman on an individual training programme, keeping him away from full team sessions to prevent further damage.<\/p>\n

Simeone admitted<\/a> the club acted just in time to avoid a worse outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cLookman still has to wait. Luckily, we brought him out at La Cartuja; otherwise, it could have been worse. But oh well\u2026 it’s not a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The forward has already missed a La Liga outing against Elche, with Atl\u00e9tico taking a careful approach to his recovery as they look ahead to a defining period in their season.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Super Eagles and Atl\u00e9tico Madrid winger Ademola Lookman. Copyright: Imago\/CesarxCebolla<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Soccer Ademola Lookman key to Atleti’s Champions League ambition<\/h2>\n

Ademola Lookman will also miss Atl\u00e9tico\u2019s upcoming league clash against Athletic Bilbao, with Simeone enforcing a strict no-risk policy. The decision reflects the club\u2019s focus on having key players fully fit rather than risking a longer-term setback by rushing him back too soon.<\/p>\n

There is, however, growing optimism that the 26-year-old could return in time for the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Arsenal on April 29. Early scans showed no structural damage, and with a recovery window of around one week, his availability remains realistic.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Ademola Lookman. Copyright: xCesarxCebollax\/IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lookman\u2019s importance to Atl\u00e9tico has grown rapidly since his winter move from Atalanta. He has delivered 11 goal contributions and scored in key fixtures, including matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona. His pace and direct dribbling have added a new edge to Simeone\u2019s counter-attacking system.<\/p>\n

With fellow attacker Alexander S\u00f8rloth also managing a minor knock from the same final, Atl\u00e9tico are taking no chances. The club are effectively \u201cwrapping their key attackers in cotton wool\u201d as they prepare for the visit of Arsenal, prioritising peak fitness for what could be their biggest night of the season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"<!--Imhonlamhen” src=”https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/thumbor\/UeZ4EmE35a2sJHCDcRne0Ycx5DA=\/150×150\/smart\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.soccernet.ng%2Fmain%2F2024%2F12%2FDSC_0327-copy.jpg” height=”80″ width=”80″>\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen\t\t\t\t<\/a>
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\n\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen is a football writer and editor at Soccernet.ng with over six years\u2019 experience shaping its editorial voice. A lifelong Arsenal and Super Eagles fan, he combines engineering precision with training in journalism and digital media. He has covered four AFCONs and two Women\u2019s AFCON tournaments, specialising in Super Eagles history and tracking Nigerian players worldwide, while keeping a close eye on the NPFL and emerging homegrown talents.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Ademola Lookman. Copyright: xHarveyxMurphy\/ IMAGO Atl\u00e9tico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has given a cautious but reassuring update on Ademola Lookman after the forward picked up an injury in April\u2019s Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, Soccernet.ng reports. Lookman was forced off in the 62nd minute of the match at La Cartuja after feeling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":901553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124826,121796,2005],"tags":[124825,121795],"class_list":{"0":"post-901552","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ademola","8":"category-lookman","9":"category-soccer","10":"tag-ademola","11":"tag-lookman"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=901552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/901553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=901552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=901552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=901552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}