Atletico Madrid suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat away to Athletic Club at San Mamés, a match overshadowed by the last-minute absence of new signing Jonathan David. The Canadian forward, recently added to the squad, woke up with severe neck pain that ruled him out of the contest, according to the original report from the newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
The news comes as Atletico sits fourth in La Liga with 7 points, just two behind leaders Barcelona. The rojiblancos have shown a solid start to the season with two wins and a draw from three games, scoring 7 goals and conceding only 3. However, this loss in Bilbao represents a stumble in their positive run of form.
What happened to Jonathan David?
Jonathan David had traveled with the Atletico squad to the Basque Country with the expectation of earning his first minutes for the club. The player, who completed pre-season with Juventus and even featured in their first Serie A match against Parma, had only had a handful of training sessions with his new teammates. Upon waking on match day, the Canadian felt pain in his cervical area due to a muscle contracture that rendered him unavailable. This information was confirmed by the outlet Marca.
The incident is a setback for the manager's plans, who was counting on gradually introducing the attacker ahead of the upcoming fixture congestion. David is an anticipated piece to add goals and dynamism to a forward line that, despite its good league start, must now deal with other absences in the attacking department.
How did the defeat to Athletic unfold?
Without David available, Atletico Madrid could not avoid a clear result at San Mamés. Athletic Club, managed by Edin Terzic, proved far superior. Nico Williams and Robert Navarro were the first to beat the visiting goalkeeper, settling the match before halftime. Oihan Sancet sealed the rout in the 90th minute, leaving the final score at a emphatic 3-0. Chema G. Fuente, a journalist for Mundo Deportivo, summarized the event: "El Athletic Club derrotó al Atlético de Madrid por 3-0".
This defeat distances the team from the top, though they maintain a Champions League position in the standings. The goal difference remains positive, but defensive solidity was compromised in Bilbao.
What is the current state of the squad?
Jonathan David's injury adds to other significant absences in the Atletico Madrid squad. On the injuries list are striker Alexander Sørloth and defender Arnau Ortiz for the long term. These losses limit the manager's options and make a quick recovery for the Canadian even more necessary.
The club is confident that David's issue is not serious and that he will be available for the next match, already scheduled for this Wednesday. The intention is for the forward to start accumulating minutes and integrate into the playing system, contributing his quality in the final third.
What's next for Atletico Madrid?
After this stumble, Atletico must react quickly. The next La Liga commitment is a tough trip to San Sebastián to face Real Sociedad on September 13. Real Sociedad currently sits eleventh, but they are always a difficult opponent at their home ground. All information on the schedule can be found on our fixtures page.
The immediate objective is to get back to winning ways and not lose more ground in a title race that looks very tight. The integration of Jonathan David, once he overcomes this physical hiccup, will be key to achieving that.
