[Official] "Lee Kang-in finally takes off" — Selected for Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester City match; Alvarez and Baena among those excluded

*This content was translated by AI.

• Friendly preseason match held in Sangam on the 9th

Finally, Atletico Madrid's "No. 7" Lee Kang-in (25) is rising.

Lee Kang-in was included in the squad list for the match against Manchester City, announced by Atletico Madrid on the 6th (Korea time). He made his first appearance on the Atletico Madrid squad list with his new jersey number 7 and the name marking "Kang In" on his uniform. The match, which will mark Lee Kang-in's debut for Atletico Madrid, is scheduled to take place at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 9th.

This is the first time since Lee Kang-in confirmed his move to Atletico Madrid last month on the 25th after leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that he has been seen sharing the pitch with teammates while wearing an Atletico Madrid jersey. Although Lee signed a five-year contract with Atletico Madrid at that time, he has rarely joined the team, which had already begun preseason training, and has instead remained in South Korea to conduct individual workouts.

This is due to the administrative procedures related to military service benefits following the men's football gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou not being finalized. The Military Manpower Administration and other government bodies were slow in approving an extension of Lee Kang-in's overseas travel permit, which ultimately prevented him from joining his club team on time. As a result, he was unable to play in the first pre-season match against Manchester United held in Sweden on the 1st. Local reports in Spain had anticipated that Lee Kang-in might be able to participate in the match against Man U depending on the timing of the Military Manpower Administration's approval, but this did not materialize.

Instead, fortunately, with the Atletico Madrid squad visiting Korea for a friendly match against Manchester City in the Coupang Play series, Lee Kang-in was able to join the team naturally for the first time during this process. Lee had been conducting individual training at facilities such as the FC Seoul training ground in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, which is part of the K League 1 professional soccer league. It has been reported that his training program and diet were already being carried out in accordance with Atletico Madrid's club guidelines.

As many fans are expected to head to Seoul World Cup Stadium to watch Lee Kang-in's debut for Atletico Madrid, his playing time is likely to be limited given the hot weather and the fact that it is the first pre-season match. Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid's manager, already divided players' playing times into 30, 45, or 60 minutes based on their condition during the team's first pre-season match against Manchester United on the 1st.

Lee Kang-in stated in an interview recently released on the club's official website, "Both the club and I wanted to join as soon as possible, but there were difficulties with the paperwork. It is truly regrettable that we could not join earlier." He also emphasized his determination, saying, "As a player and as an individual, I have a strong competitive spirit. The most important thing is always to help the team. I want to definitely achieve the goal that both I and the entire team have set together."

Meanwhile, the list of Atletico Madrid's players visiting Korea this time includes Ademola Lookman, captain Koke, Pablo Barrios, Thomas Lemar, Jose Gimenez, David Hancko, Jan Oblak, and others. However, Julian Alvarez, Alex Baena, Marcos Llorente, Alexander Sorloth, Giuliano Simeone, Alejandro Grimaldo, and others were excluded from this visit due to reasons such as vacation or personal training.

- Goalkeepers: Oblak (13), Esquivel (31), Dani Rubio (55)

- Defenders: Jimenez (2), Hontko (17), Lenormand (24), Dominguez (27), D. Martinez (30), J. Boniard (32), Puricchi (40), Arnau Solà (47)

- Midfielders: Mendoza (4), Johnny (5), Koke (6), Lee Kang-in (7), Barrios (8), Lema (15), Obed Vargas (21), Yulman (23), Iker Luque (37), Castillo (46), Ueso (49), Arnau Ortiz (54)

- Forwards: Carlos Martin (12), Lukman (22), Sergio Esteban (45), Kubo (61)

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*This content was translated by AI.