Jose Maria Gimenez
José Maria Giménez is set to miss the trip to Real Madrid due to a thigh injury. Getty

Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Giménez is set to miss the trip to Real Madrid on Tuesday night (2 May) after suffering a thigh injury during the weekend's 5-0 win over Las Palmas. However, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco has handed Diego Simeone a boost by returning to the training sessions ahead of the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

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Los Colchoneros secured an impressive win over Las Palmas on Saturday to remain in the third place of La Liga table, just behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, the victory came at a costly price for Simeone after Giménez was forced off and replaced by versatile Thomas in the 67<sup>th minute of the game due to a muscle injury.

Atletico have confirmed the worst thoughts for their fans after scans revealed the injury ahead of the derby at Real Madrid.

"Jose María Giménez underwent more tests on Sunday that have confirmed the injury of our player. The defender suffers 'a grade II muscle injury in the adductor magnus of the left thigh'." The Uruguayan will follow a physical therapy and rehabilitation treatment," Atletico have confirmed through an official statement.

The club have failed to set a timeline in the recovery but reports in Spain suggests that the versatile defender could be out of action for around three weeks – missing also the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals to be played at the Vicente Calderon next week.

Gimenez is a centre-back but has been playing in the right-back in recent games due to the injuries of Juanfran and Šime Vrsaljko.

The news is thus a special blow for Simeone as the manager will need to restructure his defence once again to face Real Madrid. In this sense, Stefan Savić and versatile Lucas could be forced to cover the right-back at the Bernabeu despite being originally centre-backs.

Ferreira Carrasco was also expected to miss the trip to Real Madrid after suffering an acromioclavicular joint sprain during his side 1-0 defeat to Villarreal on 25 April.

However, Simeone received better news in that sense after the Belgium international surprisingly trained with the rest of his available teammates on Sunday.

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