Ademola Lookman, the Nigerian winger at Atlético Madrid, did not come on in the defeat to FC Barcelona, even though his coach Diego Simeone still had a substitution available.
Ademola Lookman watched the entire Atlético Madrid defeat to FC Barcelona from the bench. The 28-year-old Nigerian winger was not used by Diego Simeone, reports The Eagle Online, even though the coach still had a substitution available.
A whole match without a single minute: enough to fuel questions about the winger’s place in the Madrid set-up. All the more so as the player had featured in all eleven of Atlético’s La Liga matches before this meeting with Barça, according to Punch.
Four changes, and not him
In this match, Simeone made only four substitutions. Sørloth, Hancko, Cardoso and Jonathan David came on, the latter in the 78th minute, reports Punch citing Sport. Lookman, for his part, stayed on the bench until the final whistle.
The contrast is all the more visible because Jonathan David was brought on in the final quarter of an hour without the Nigerian winger being called upon. According to The Eagle Online, Atlético still had a substitution available.
Simeone’s attacking choice raised even more eyebrows because Julian Alvarez was kept on the pitch for the entire match, despite the crowd’s jeers, Punch points out. The player therefore racked up the minutes while Lookman remained in the shadows.
This management of the forward players only heightens the questions about the options favoured by the Madrid staff. The Nigerian press is wondering whether the winger’s status may be changing.
Simeone calls for work
The Atlético coach had spoken publicly about his player’s dip in form, playing down the situation and calling for work and trust. “I don’t want him to get frustrated because he’s not going through his best moment. This is work, this is believing in what you do,” said Diego Simeone, according to The Eagle Online and Punch.
In other words, the coach does not want to see his winger get frustrated when he is not going through his best spell, and points to work and belief in what you do. In the Nigerian press, those comments mainly fuel questions about how much trust Simeone really places in Lookman.
Next up after the break
Atlético’s next La Liga match is scheduled after the international break. That is when the trust between Simeone and Lookman will be closely scrutinised.