Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid team news: Antoine Griezmann a major doubt for weekend’s crunch clash
The French striker is battling a foot injury and Diego Simeone will be desperate not to lose his star man ahead of the derby
ATLETICO MADRID boss Diego Simeone will be sweating over whether his star striker Antoine Griezmann will be fit for this weekend's derby.
The French forward is a major doubt with a foot injury he picked up on international duty in the 2-1 win over Sweden.
In the last Madrid derby at the Vicente Calderon before Atletico move to their new stadium, Los Rojiblancos can't afford to lose the man who has scored eight goals this season.
Keep up to date with ALL the Atletico Madrid news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
Simeone's men have suffered a dip in form in recent weeks, losing two of their last three La Liga games - a 1-0 loss to Sevilla and a 2-0 loss to Real Sociedad.
They will not welcome the news from their city rivals that Sergio Ramos could be back in the mix after recovering from a knee injury.
Zinedine Zidane's captain has scored against Atletico in the two Champions League final meeting's, and he could provide the rest of his squad with a morale boost.
Related stories
Real Madrid could also welcome back midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Casemiro, who suffered from an ankle injury and a fractured shinbone respectively.
Luka Modric is also in the frame to start, the influential Croatian playmaker has suffered from a knee problem but is on track to help Madrid carry on their unbeaten start to the league campaign.
One player Los Blancos will definitely be without is German midfield maestro Toni Kroos.
He fractured his metatarsal in the 3-0 win over Leganes, and is even feared to miss next month's El Clasico.
Atletico sit fourth in the table, six points behind Real Madrid who have stormed their way to the top, looking to win their first title since the 2011/12 season.