A press report has revealed details of Julian Alvarez's second day back in Atletico Madrid's training sessions, which he joined yesterday after the end of the holiday he was given following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
According to "Mundo Deportivo", Alvarez is continuing the physical programme designed for him and the rest of the players who featured in the World Cup final in the United States. The striker arrived at 11:30am Spanish time at the Cerro del Espino complex in Majadahonda, where he put in an individual session with fitness coach Luis Peinado.
The work began on the pitch before moving into the gym.
He trained alone, as did the other Argentina internationals who did not travel to South Korea to face Manchester City last Sunday.
Marc Pubill, Alejandro Grimaldo, Marcos Llorente, Alex Baena, Alexander Sorloth and Juan Musso had all trained at Majadahonda before Alvarez arrived.
The rest of the squad are enjoying a few days off after the South Korea trip. They are expected to rejoin their team-mates tomorrow, Wednesday.
Alvarez is hoping for a long-awaited meeting with Diego Simeone. He expects a lengthy conversation, and he will also catch up with the World Cup players he hasn't seen in recent days.
That talk is expected to touch on his possible future away from the club, something Atletico are not currently entertaining.
"Cholo" has already made clear he is counting on the striker for the campaign that kicks off on 19 August at home to Malaga.
Speaking at his press conference in Seoul, the coach said: "The situation is completely clear, the club took a decision that Miguel Angel (the chief executive) explained well. From a sporting point of view, we are very happy to have a player like Julian, and we will certainly help him to continue to grow and develop, and to continue to give his best as he did over the past two years, which was a lot."
For his part, Alvarez has committed to the club's plan since returning from holiday. What he really wants, though, is that meeting with Simeone, hoping to win the green light to chase his dream move to Barcelona.