Football
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Luciano Vietto: Atletico Madrid return depends on Diego Simeone

Argentine forward Luciano Vietto said he is in form to play on Sunday for Atletico Madrid against Betis should coach Diego Simeone opt to use him.

"I have found the rhythm and am up to the level of my teammates," Vietto said. "The rest will depend on the coach."

The 21-year-old has been out since Oct. 8 after having his appendix removed.

The Cordoba native, who had a slow start to his Atletico career after joining from Villarreal for €20 million in the summer, said that the worst is over with the operation and that "everything happens for a reason."

He said that the international break gave the team a chance to correct aspects of collective play and said that Simeone has emphasized the importance of the forwards working together.

"He insisted in defining the work," Vietto said of Simeone. "Goals are evading us a little but with the quality of forwards we have that will be corrected soon."

He said he is not upset that he hasn't had as much playing time as he did at Villarreal last season, in particular because of the appendix surgery.

"I am calm, I don't want to feel panicked. My daily effort will bring me to the level I reached last season," Vietto said, adding that Simeone is capable of drawing the best out of each player and does not get "rushed" if someone has not yet reached their optimal level.

Vietto said he is not worried about the possibility of having to play against Rayo Vallecano on Dec. 31. La Liga president Javier Tebas said on Wednesday that the date is still under discussion for the match. 

"We will play when they tell us to," said Vietto.

Meanwhile, Misfiring Atletico Madrid striker Jackson Martinez says he will "keep working" and "fight" to be a success at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.

Colombia international Jackson joined Atletico for €35 million last summer, but has not yet settled -- scoring just three times in his first 15 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League.

Jackson is a doubt for Atletico's La Liga game at Real Betis on Sunday evening, having returned early from the Colombia camp with a sprained ankle.

"In these moments you think about recovering quickly, it is not serious, I am coming here to get treatment and to be back as quickly as possible," he said. "Logically, to be injured, is a concern."

The situation is quite different for young winger Yannick Carrasco, who joined Atletico for €20 million from Monaco last summer. The Belgium international has settled really quickly, and is already first choice on the left wing having impressed Simeone with his attitude and workrate.

Carrasco admitted in AS that he had not expected to be starting regularly so quickly, having seen how it took a few months for now first choice attacker Antoine Griezmann to work his way into the team after his arrival in summer 2014.

"Everyone knows how Simeone is," the 22-year-old said. "He demands a huge amount, and recent arrivals do not usually go straight into the starting team. You just have to look at Griezmann's case. I thought I would be a starter after the new year, but I guess I have adapted well to the style of the team."

Simeone had 11 players seeing action with their respective countries during the international break.

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