Diego Simeone says Atletico Madrid have no choice but to manage their players' minutes with the new Champions League format dialling up the intensity of their schedule.

Atleti have made a positive start to the season, registering three wins and two draws from their first five matches in LaLiga to match Real Madrid's pace and sit four points adrift of leaders Barcelona.

They also made a winning start to their Champions League campaign in midweek, fighting back to beat RB Leipzig 2-1 with a last-gasp winner from Jose Maria Gimenez.

With eight European league-phase games to play this term, Atleti face an incredibly busy schedule, with no free midweek slots until December, excluding international breaks.

After going to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, Los Colchoneros visit Celta Vigo on Thursday then face Real Madrid, Benfica and Real Sociedad in the space of a week. 

"It makes us try to manage the squad in the best way but the difficulties come in the hours approaching the game, when we need to win," Simeone said ahead of Sunday's trip across the Spanish capital. 

"The word rotation is not good, it is an opportunity for those who play and you cannot always repeat the same players, because then you are on the way to significant injuries as we have seen.

"On our physical side, we have to try to manage their health in the best way. Only with health can we have a team.

"On the pitch there is little to work in the time we have left for each game, especially when it is Thursday and Sunday."