Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic will be rested on Tuesday to heal an injured ankle ahead of the Champions League quarterfinals, coach Diego Simeone says.
Simeone ruled the struggling Mandzukic out of the league home game against Real Sociedad, saying "we will be waiting for him to return" when his team play Real Madrid in the Champions League next week.
According to Simeone, Mandzukic had played his last 10 matches on an injured right ankle and requested a break to give himself a chance to heal.
"Mandzukic is a key player for us," Simeone said in his news conference. "He has scored 20 goals in the League and against Leverkusen he played over 80 minutes with one leg and an incredible commitment to the team.
"He is not going to play tomorrow, but we are waiting for him to return to take his place."
Mandzukic has scored a team-high 20 goals in his first season for the defending Spanish champions, but he has not scored since a win over Almeria on Feb. 21.
Diego Godin will also miss Tuesday's match with a thigh injury, while Raul Garcia and Miguel Angel Moya remain out, and Juanfran is suspended.
Atletico host their crosstown rivals on April 14 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.