Simeone has no regrets over making injured Wass play on

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said he has no regrets over his treatment of new signing Daniel Wass after making the midfielder play through injury, which has resulted in a spell on the sidelines.

The Denmark international, who joined Atleti from Valencia in the January transfer window, came on as a substitute in the reigning champions' 4-2 defeat to Barcelona last weekend.

In the closing stages the player went down on the touchline and was helped to his feet by his manager and told to play on despite visibly being in pain.

It has since emerged that the player suffered a grade two sprain in his knee and local media report he will be out for four to six weeks.

"This is how I've always seen injuries, it's nothing new," Simeone told a news conference ahead of the visit of Getafe in LaLiga this weekend.

"The difference is this time he had an injury. Hopefully he can recover as soon as possible.

"I haven't apologised to him because normally when a player comes off, it isn't anything serious and they can just run it off. This time it wasn't but I've always done the same."

Atleti, who sit fifth in the table, two points off Barcelona in the fourth and final Champions League spot, will also be without defender Jose Maria Gimenez and Antoine Griezmann for the visit of their Madrid rivals Getafe on Saturday.

(Reporting by Joseph Walker; Editing by Hugh Lawson)