Diego Godin Suffers Tear; Atletico Madrid Man to Miss Barcelona Clash

Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin has told reporters he suffered a tear in the 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday and won't be available to face Barcelona after the international break.

Per Sport, Godin said he has suffered similar injuries in the past, which is why he knows how much time he'll miss:

"I know what I have, I've had it before, it's a tear and I'll be out for at least 20 days or a month. I'll try to do my best so that it doesn't take any longer. If I'd gone off [in the match against Athletic] I couldn't contribute anything, it was worth the effort [to stay on]. I stayed on for the set pieces. I know what goes through your head. I stayed on to help."

Godin also explained how the injury occurred, as he was trying to keep up with the speedy Inaki Williams when the latter was on his way to scoring his second goal. The Rojiblancos were out of substitutes, however, so Godin stayed on the pitch.

That proved to be a blessing when the 32-year-old, who could barely run and played as an emergency striker, netted a last-minute winner. Per sportswriter Richard Martin, it summed up Diego Simeone's team:

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

The win, coupled with Barcelona's 4-3 loss to Real Betis on Sunday, means the gap at the top of the standings is a single point, and the the two clubs are set to face off on November 24.

Atletico will be short-handed in defence for that contest, however. Per Sport, the team was already without Jose Maria Gimenez, Lucas Hernandez and Stefan Savic, forcing 19-year-old Francisco Montero into the starting XI alongside Godin.

The international break should help Simeone's troops, but without Godin, beating the Blaugrana will be tough. Their defence has been bad in the last few weeks, but their attack is as healthy as expected, and they did score three against Betis.

Lionel Messi returned to the starting XI for the first time since he suffered an arm injury against Sevilla, and his form should only improve with two additional weeks of rest.