Baena and José María Giménez completed individual ball work at Cerro del Espino as they enter the final phase of their recoveries, set to miss Girona but aiming to return for Real Sociedad and reach peak form for the Saudi Super Cup.
Atlético received a timely boost at Cerro del Espino on Friday, even if the main squad’s session took place entirely indoors.
With the coaching staff prioritising controlled workloads in the gym, the most encouraging images of the day came before the rest of the group even began. Two key names, Baena and José María Giménez, stepped out onto the training pitch with their recovery staff and offered a clear sign that their respective comebacks have entered the decisive stretch.
While the team carried out a fully gym based programme, the grass did see action. Baena and Giménez completed an individual pitch session under close supervision, each working on a tailored plan designed to take them from rehabilitation into the final phase of match readiness. They were separated, each with a specialist, but the message was shared: both are already in the countdown of their recoveries.
The detail that most stands out is the ball work. At this stage of a return, touching the ball again is more than symbolic. It usually marks a transition from pure conditioning and movement patterns to football specific actions: changes of direction, short accelerations, controlled decelerations, and the technical rhythm that cannot be replicated in the gym. Finishing drills with the ball is often the last checkpoint before a player begins to rejoin parts of group training, first in limited blocks and later in full sessions. Atlético’s staff are clearly taking a methodical approach, but the fact that both were already completing football actions is an unmistakable indicator of progress.
From Atlético’s perspective, this development matters for both the immediate schedule and the early season objectives. The calendar is about to turn, and the margin for error in key competitions is always thin. Even when a match can be approached with alternatives, the club knows that the next set of fixtures will demand the full depth of the squad, and the return of experienced, high impact players can shift the competitive ceiling very quickly.
Despite the good news, there is no shortcut for this weekend. Both Baena and Giménez will miss the trip to Girona on Sunday, the fixture that closes out two thousand and twenty-five. That absence is expected and, in many ways, sensible. A player can look sharp in an individual session and still be short of the full intensity and unpredictability that a match requires. Atlético’s priority here is clear: complete the recovery correctly, reduce the risk of setbacks, and avoid rushing either player back for a single appearance at the end of the year.
The target, instead, is the first match of two thousand and twenty-six. Atlético Madrid travel again, this time to face Real Sociedad on the fourth of January. The plan is for both Giménez and Baena to be available for that game, which would immediately increase the team’s options in two areas that define Atlético at their best: defensive control and creative production.
Giménez’s potential return is particularly significant because his profile is built for the matches that demand resilience. When he is at full rhythm, he offers an assertive presence in duels, strong timing when stepping out of the line, and a capacity to defend the box with conviction. Beyond the purely defensive side, his leadership and communication can stabilise those around him, especially in moments when the opponent builds momentum. For a team that often competes on fine margins, that reliability has real value, not only in how Atlético defends but in how confidently they can push their line and manage transitions.
Baena’s importance is different but just as decisive. The number ten role, whether interpreted as a classic creator or as a modern hybrid who connects midfield and attack, is where Atlético can turn control into clear chances. Baena’s “magic” is not only about a highlight pass. It is about timing, disguise, and the ability to find a teammate between lines when the opponent’s shape looks set. Players with that capacity can change the complexion of a match without needing long spells of dominance, and they are especially influential in tight games decided by one moment of quality.
There is also a wider strategic layer to all of this: the Saudi Super Cup. Atlético’s staff are looking beyond the first league game of the new year because the Super Cup represents the first realistic opportunity to win silverware this season. In that context, the objective is not simply to have Giménez and Baena available, but to have them at maximum level. A player returning too early can be present in the squad without being able to deliver their usual intensity across repeated high pressure minutes. Atlético want both to reach the tournament with the physical readiness and match rhythm required to make a decisive impact.
That is why Friday’s work matters. It is one thing to be close, and another to be in the final stretch with structured pitch time, ball actions, and progressive loading. The next steps typically involve increasing the complexity and speed of the exercises, adding more reactive movements, and then introducing partial integration with teammates, first in controlled rondos and position specific tasks, later in larger tactical drills. Every day without discomfort and every session completed at a higher intensity makes the timeline more realistic.
Atlético will still have to navigate Girona without them, and that will test depth and adaptability. But the broader outlook is clearly more positive than it was earlier in the recovery process. If all goes to plan, the final match of the year will be the last one without these two, and the opening weeks of the new year could arrive with Atlético closer to their intended version, more solid at the back, and sharper in the moments that decide matches.
Updated: 10:50, 19 Dec 2025
