Atletico Madrid have received relatively reassuring news on Cristian Romero, with medical tests revealing the Argentine defender has suffered a low-grade injury to his adductor muscle.
A report published by Marca on Sunday says the injury will keep "Cuti" out for between 10 and 12 days.
Romero sparked the alarm during the win over Espanyol. He felt pain and asked to come off an hour into the match, raising fears over the loss of a defender who has toughened up the back line.
Sunday's tests showed the problem goes beyond mere muscle strain, but it is not serious enough to demand a lengthy absence. Estimates point to a return in under two weeks.
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Absent against Stuttgart and Deportivo
The report states that Romero will not travel with the Atletico Madrid squad to Stuttgart on Monday ahead of Tuesday's Champions League meeting with the German side. He will also miss Saturday's game against Deportivo La Coruna at the Metropolitano.
Levante, in around a week, is the more likely target. The coaching staff will not rush the Argentine back if he has not fully regained his fitness.
Bayern and Barcelona: the most important target
Atletico Madrid want to avoid the worst-case scenario that is troubling the coaching staff: losing Romero for the brutal run of fixtures ahead.
Simeone and his staff hope to have the defender at full fitness before a decisive week. They host Bayern Munich on Tuesday, then face Barcelona on Sunday, two huge matches in the Champions League and La Liga.
Having the Argentina captain at the heart of the defence counts for plenty in those two games. That makes avoiding the risk of an early return a priority, even if it means doing without him against Levante.