'No Lee Kang-in on the list?' But a plot twist! There was a reason for his exclusion from the starting lineup... Spanish local media: "Likely to be rested for the Bayern Munich match four days later"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

South Korea national team 'ace' Lee Kang-in (25, Atletico Madrid) was left off the projected starting lineup for the match against Levante. However, there was a special reason behind it. It was for a bigger game.

Atletico, managed by Diego Simeone, will face Levante in an away match on the 11th round of the 2026-2027 Spanish La Liga at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia in Valencia, Spain, at 10 p.m. (KST) on the 31st.

At present, Atletico has a record of eight wins, one draw, and one loss (25 points), placing second in the league standings. The gap with leader Barcelona (27 points) is just two points. Meanwhile, Levante sits in 15th place with a record of two wins, four draws, and four losses (10 points).

For Atletico, this is a match where victory is essential to continue their pursuit of the league title.

However, local Spanish media predicted that Lee Kang-in might be left out of the starting lineup for the Levante match.

There was a special reason. Spain's Mundo Deportivo stated, "Manager Simeone has several concerns heading into this Levante match," explaining, "because they must immediately face Bayern Munich (Germany) at their home ground right after the Levante game concludes."

Atletico will play Bayern Munich in the fourth matchday of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, at 5 a.m. on November 4.

Currently, Atletico has a record of one win, one draw, and one loss (4 points) in the UCL, placing 16th in the league phase standings. It is not a safe position.

From Atletico's perspective, both matches are important. They need a victory against Levante for the league title race, and they desperately need points to climb into the upper ranks of the UCL.

Mundo Deportivo noted, "Both matches are extremely important," adding, "it will be difficult for Manager Simeone to utilize rotation extensively."

In this situation, it was suggested that Lee Kang-in might rest in the Levante match and be utilized for the Bayern Munich game.

Mundo Deportivo predicted, "There are more concerns regarding the attacking line. As of now, Julian Alvarez is likely to partner with Jonathan David," adding, "Manager Simeone appears likely to reserve resources such as Lee Kang-in, Koke, Johnny Cardoso, and Ademola Lookman so they can be used in the starting lineup for the Bayern Munich match."

Lee Kang-in's name was not on the media's projected starting 11. Instead, it included Alvarez and David, along with Pablo Barrios, Marcos Llorente, and Alex Baena.

European football statistics outlet FootMob also excluded Lee Kang-in from its projected starting lineup for the Levante match. It predicted that Atletico would deploy a 4-4-2 formation, with Alvarez and David forming the two-striker partnership.

However, Lee Kang-in's name was on the projected starting lineup for the Bayern Munich match. FootMob expected Atletico to utilize a 4-2-3-1 formation against Bayern Munich. Lee Kang-in was listed as the right-side attacker. It was predicted that Alvarez would lead the line at the front, while Lee Kang-in would form the second-line attacking unit alongside Baena and Lookman.

However, Lee Kang-in's exclusion from the starting lineup for the Levante match is not confirmed. Mundo Deportivo reported, "There is a possibility of some changes in the attacking line. Manager Simeone has tested various alternatives on the wings and in the attack," adding, "Alexander Sorloth, Lee Kang-in, and Arnau Ortiz appeared in certain positions during tactical training."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original