'Lee Kang-in's name disappears' Atletico's official debut match, Spanish media unanimously predict 'exclusion from starting lineup'

*This content was translated by AI.

• On the morning of the 20th at 4 a.m., ahead of the La Liga opener: Marca and AS among others predict 'Lee Kang-in on the bench'

The likelihood that Lee Kang-in (25) will make his official debut for Atletico (AT) Madrid not as a starter but as a substitute is increasingly gaining weight. Ahead of the match, local Spanish media outlets have repeatedly removed Lee Kang-in's name from their predicted starting lineups for AT Madrid.

Spanish outlet Marca excluded Lee Kang-in from its expected starting lineup for the 2026-2027 La Liga Round 1 opener against Malaga, to be held at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, at 4 a.m. on the 20th (Korean time).

The outlet placed weight on a 4-4-2 formation possibility, with Arnau Ortiz and Rodrigo Mendez forming a striking duo up front, while Ademola Lookman and Carlos Martin are positioned on both flanks.

AS also predicted that Arnau and Mendez would form the striking duo, with Lookman and Carlos Martin starting as left and right wingers. Both Marca and AS share the view that Mendez will take on the second striker role in place of Lee Kang-in.

Another outlet, Mundo Deportivo, unlike the previous two, anticipated a 3-5-2 formation for AT Madrid's starting tactics. It predicted that Lookman and Arnau would form the striking duo, with Alejandro Grimaldo and Julian Simeone positioned on the left and right flanks respectively.

Despite significant differences between the attacking lineups predicted by Marca and AS and that anticipated by Mundo Deportivo, it is somewhat disappointing that Lee Kang-in's name appears in none of the three outlets' predictions. All media outlets have predicted Lee Kang-in to be on the bench for this match.

Although AT Madrid invested considerable effort over a long period to sign Lee Kang-in and paid a transfer fee of 40 million euros (approximately 64.8 billion won), raising expectations for his starting debut, it appears that his late arrival at the club has ultimately led to predictions of his exclusion from the opening match lineup.

In fact, even after his move to AT Madrid was confirmed following the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, Lee Kang-in remained in South Korea and could not join the team in Spain due to documentation issues intertwined with military service benefits that prevented his departure. It was only on the 7th of this month when AT Madrid arrived in South Korea that he finally joined the team for the first time. He participated in just two pre-season friendly matches, each lasting around 30 minutes, before the new season kicks off.

Diego Simeone, AT Madrid manager, stated at a pre-match press conference against Malaga: "Many players who participated in the World Cup final are now adapting to the team, and Lee Kang-in only began training with the team after returning from Korea." He added, "Although time is short, we must make the most of him." However, even if he is excluded from the starting lineup, there is a high possibility that his playing time will be longer than in previous matches.

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*This content was translated by AI.