Atletico Madrid defender Robin Le Normand believes a suspension for five yellow cards is overly harsh, having been ruled out of Saturday’s huge derby against Real Madrid.
Le Normand played the full 90 minutes as Atleti eased into the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Tuesday, crushing Getafe 5-0 in the last eight.
Diego Simeone’s team have now won 19 of their last 21 matches overall (one draw, one defeat), and another victory over their cross-city rivals would take them top of LaLiga.
But Le Normand will be absent at the Santiago Bernabeu, having received his fifth yellow card of the season in Saturday’s league win over Real Mallorca.
Asked what he would give to feature in the derby after Tuesday’s cup win, he said: “A lot, but it’s life, it’s like that, five yellows for defenders are few.
“It’s bad luck, I would have liked to play but now I have to trust my team-mates, we’re going to get after them.”
Atleti are chasing their first Copa triumph since 2013 and their first league title since 2020-21, but coach Simeone will not get carried away despite their fine form.
“There’s a long way to go, we have to focus on working in the best way. The healthiest thing is that those who come in, they come in to compete, whether it’s 5, 10 or 15 minutes,” he said.
“That contribution is what will differentiate us or not. If we maintain that competition, it gives us the possibility to continue on the path we are following.”
The Opta supercomputer makes Atleti second favourites to win LaLiga, triumphing in 21.1% of season simulations.
They are considered more likely to be crowned champions than Barcelona (19.6%), with neighbours Madrid (59.1%) their foremost competitors.
“A lot of things will appear from Thursday to Saturday, as it has to be, because it is a classic match in the city, it is nice that this happens,” Simeone said.
“It’s nice that two teams from the city compete like this.”
