Savic will return to the starting lineup pending his renewal

It seems that Stefan Savic will end a streak of five consecutive games without playing against Almería. 

The Montenegrin has practiced in the starting eleven in the last two Atlético training sessions and appears set to form a defensive line with Llorente, Witsel, Azpilicueta, and Lino. This way, the Balkan player will have the opportunity to feel important again after watching the recent matches from the bench.

Indeed, the Atlético central defender was experiencing a novel situation for him. Since joining Atlético in the 2015 season, he had not accumulated five games without participating and without being sidelined due to injuries. In his debut season as a Colchonero, when competing for a spot in a defense that played with two central defenders, he watched the matches against Las Palmas, Sevilla, Barcelona, Galatasaray, and Eibar alongside Simeone. At that time, the most trusted defenders for the Argentine coach were Godín and Giménez, so the newly arrived Savic had to work hard.

The consistency of the former Fiorentina player paid off, and both his hard work and quality eventually prevailed. His aerial game, his forcefulness in direct duels with opponents, and his ability to read the game as proposed by Simeone turned him into the fifth most prominent player in the squad the following campaign.

Thus, at 32 years old and in his ninth season as an Atlético footballer, Savic faces a key year as his contract ends next June. With Giménez recently renewed, Soyuncu signed last summer, Azpilicueta having the option to add another year to his contract, and Witsel performing at a high level, the uncertainties in Atlético's defense lie in the continuity of Savic and Hermoso. In the case of the Balkan player, a loss of prominence could mean a possible end to his long and successful stint at Atlético Madrid.