Alexander Sørloth is expected to make his first competitive appearance of the season when Atletico Madrid visit Alaves on Saturday, with the Norway striker also in contention for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Manchester United.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone confirmed that Sørloth and Pablo Barrios had recovered sufficiently to feature again.
“They have worked very hard and will get to play in the match. Hopefully, they can give us their best during the time they will get on the pitch,” Simeone said, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
The Atletico boss said Sørloth’s return would provide his side with an option they had been missing.
“Each of them offers us different options in our play. Sørloth, in particular, provides balance in an area of the game that the team otherwise lacks,” Simeone added.
Sørloth has not played since Norway’s World Cup quarter-final defeat by England on 11 July. He suffered a muscle injury in early August and was not considered for the Norway squad that recently competed in four Nations League matches.
Atletico initially expected the Trøndelag-born forward to be out for three weeks, but the injury proved more complicated than first anticipated.