Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has confirmed recent Los Rojiblancos signing Fernando Torres will make it in the starting eleven for his debut at the Copa del Rey clash against Real Madrid.
“Torres came well trained from Milan. I see him in good shape. He has played ten league games and he’s been training with us for a few days already, so tomorrow he will play from the start and we hope he’ll give us what we expect from them,” the Argentinian explained.
Asked about their rival in the Copa del Rey, Simeone believes Los Blancos are “a huge rival with a great coach.” “We will try to play a great game, not only with words, but with actions,” he added.
Simeone also commented on Iker Casillas great state of shape: “When I said Casillas was the best of Madrid, some laughed. He has recovered the starting goalkeeper role and now they don’t laugh that much.”
Keylor Navas will most likely feature on goal against Atletico. “He’s a great goalkeeper. He’s doing well and he will feel the need to show all his quality against us,” Simeone said.
The Argentinian thinks Luka Modric will be an important miss for Los Merengues, although not crucial: “They have been unbeaten for many matches and that has allowed Isco to grow. They are a very talented team, but we want to bring the match to our field. We want to do something big,” he concluded.
