Atlectico Madrid will be without their central defender Jose Gimenez as they prepare to face Chelsea for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg tie in Bucharest, Romania.
Gimenez limped out of Roji Blancos 2 – 0 home loss – their first of the season – in a La Liga fixture against Levante.
The Uruguay international was expected to miss the tie against Chelsea, but made a surprise return to the starting line up for Atleti’s home clash against Levante before being forced off shortly after half-time having picked up what looked like a knock to his ankle.
Diego Simeone’s men were already 1-0 down at this stage, with Luis Morales opening the scoring via a deflected strike after 30 minutes.
Atletico Madrid looked to have dominated much of the encounter notching 28 shots but were unable to break down Levante’s defense.
Star striker Luis Suarez also hit the woodwork with a free-kick from 30 yards as Atletico made a desperate attempt to rescue a point.
Gimenez’s injury is the latest blow for Atletico, with Belgian star Yannick Carrasco also a doubt for the clash against Chelsea.
Atleti’s Champions League game against the Blues was moved to the Romanian capital due to the Spanish Government restricting travelers entering the country from England.
