Tuesday 21 / April / 2026
MADRID-- Atletico Madrid has paid a worrying price for its defeat on penalties to Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday night, with the news that Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman and striker Alexander Sorloth both ended the game with "physical problems" that make them doubts for Atletico's Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.
Lookman was taken off after 62 minutes of the final, with Atletico trailing 2-1 after scoring his side's first goal in a match that ended 2-2 after extra time. Sorloth came on as a second-half substitute and missed a vital penalty in the shootout that saw Real Sociedad lift the Copa del Rey.
"Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sorloth finished the Copa del Rey final with discomfort. The club's medical staff have conducted tests that advise maximum caution to avoid the risk of injury, so they will follow an individualized plan in the coming days, training separately from the group," the club website said, adding that the duo's return would "depend on how their discomfort progresses."
Neither Lookman nor Sorloth was present at Monday's session with the first-team squad, and neither will play against Elche on Wednesday night or against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Lookman has been vital for Atletico coach Diego Simeone since joining from Atalanta in the January transfer window, making 18 appearances, 14 of them in the starting lineup, scoring seven goals, including the one that took Atletico past Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinal last week, and providing four assists.
Sorloth, meanwhile, has scored 10 goals in La Liga and six in the Champions League, despite not always being a regular starter under Simeone.
