Kieran Trippier is expected to make a return to football during Sunday’s Madrid Derby, as his ten-week suspension from football ends.
Kieran Trippier Set for Derby Day Return
End of the ban
The 30-year-old was banned from football in December due to a breach of FIFA gambling rules and is eligible to play again for the first time since this weekend.
Trippier played for Atletico in January, when his ban had been suspended while he was appealing the decision, against Sevilla in La Liga.
Previous to the England international’s ban he had been playing a key role in Diego Simeone’s side racing ahead of rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga. He had made 14 appearances in La Liga and had played in each of Atletico’s Champions League group fixtures.
Derby is Crucial in the Title Race
Trippier is returning to a side that is not enjoying the same vein of form that it had been when he made his last appearance. Los Rojiblancos have won just two of their last six games, including a defeat to Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
While Atletico are not playing their best football, neither are Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane’s side recently dropped points against Real Sociedad to allow their city rivals to extend their lead at the top of La Liga to five points, having played one game less.
While these two had been seen as La Liga’s main title contenders throughout most of the season, Barcelona have recently put together a run of positive results that has seen them climb back to being level on points with Real.
With the Catalan side on the rise and a significant gap already in place, neither side can afford a slip up in Sunday’s derby.
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