Atletico Madrid has gotten a huge fitness boost heading into their Champions League quarterfinal matchup with Barcelona as center-backs Diego Godin and Stefan Savic have returned from injury.
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Savic has not played since February with a muscle injury, while Godin has not featured for three weeks while battling a strained hamstring.
Godin’s last appearance for Atletico was in the Champions League round of 16, a match in which Atleti advanced past PSV Eindhoven in a wild penalty shootout.
The 30-year-old Uruguayan’s return comes at a crucial time, as his replacement Jose Gimenez has been ruled out of the Barcelona match with his own hamstring injury. In Atletico’s last match, manager Diego Simeone was forced to give 21-year-old Nacho Monsalve his debut at center-back.
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Godin has been a stalwart on the Atleti backline, a defense that has conceded just 15 goals in La Liga play this season. Arguably one of the best center-backs in the world this year, Godin will be key when marking up against the best attack in the world from Barcelona.