Atletico Madrid up against the clock for the Super Cup

Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez arrived back in Madrid on Monday to start work.

It comes a week after Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez, Stefan Savic, Filipe Luis and Diego Costa all worked out under Profe Ortega et al., and the French duo will join the group in Sardinia on Wednesday.

Everyone is now ready for the time trial that awaits them, nine days before they compete for the first title of the season.

"We're coming along little by little and we're slowly getting together," Koke, who was captain for the friendly in Stuttgart on Sunday, said.

"Antoine is missing and Diego Costa is missing but they'll soon arrive and do their job."

The midfielder has also been very impressed by the new arrivals, namely Thomas Lemar and Gelson Martins, who he believes will contribute big things.

"For their first game, I thought they did very well and I think they are only going to get better and show why they signed," he added.

"It is good to have more great players at Atletico and there will be competition.

"We all have a desire and we all want to play in every game, especially finals and the Super Cup will be a special match."

Koke also touched on the mantra which he hopes the Rojiblancos will stick to this season, as they have so often done before under Diego Simeone.

"As always, what we want to do this season is improve, like we did last year and it is up to us to keep doing that," he said.

"Improving game by game has always been our motto."