Antoine Griezmann ready for Atletico Madrid return as ankle problems are left in the dust

The international break has come at a good time for Antoine Griezmann. The 32-year-old was only half-fit when he returned to action for Atletico Madrid against Inter Milan two weeks ago, and that meant he could only play 45 minutes against Barcelona in the final match before the interval.

He was excused from France duty because his ankle was in a poor state, but the last 10 days have been good for Griezmann, and on Wednesday, he returned to group training with the rest of his Atleti teammates , as per Brand.

All being well, Griezmann will be available to Diego Simeone for Monday's clash with Villarreal at the Ceramica. It will also need to, as the results of MD29 meant that Atleti dropped out of the Champions League places, with Athletic Club going fourth instead.

Griezmann will be crucial for Atletico Madrid in the run-in, and after the Villarreal game, he will have the chance to rest his ankle more before Los Rojiblancos begin their Champions League quarter-final match with Borussia Dortmund, with the first leg comes nine days after the match in Vila. – True.