Athletic are preparing for the Cup tie against Espanyol pending what could happen on Sunday with Yeray facing the visit of Real Madrid. The rojiblanco central defender saw a red card against Real in Anoeta, where he should have been punished with a match suspension. The penalty, since it was a game that took place in a League match, must be fulfilled in the same competition, so the Barakaldo center-back will be in a position to play tomorrow against the parakeet team.
The rojiblanco club will also take steps to invalidate the red that Yeray saw in the derby last Saturday. From Ibaigane, the corresponding chapter of allegations has been prepared for the controversial game that ended with a penalty in favor of Real for, in the referee’s opinion, the demolition of Athletic defender Take Kubo. Television images, however, made it clear that it was nothing more than a simple struggle between two players who wanted to win the position.
Therefore, pending the decision of the Competition and the following committees in case the allegations of the Bilbao club are not accepted in the first instance, Valverde is clear that Yeray can be lined up tomorrow. Another thing is what could happen on Sunday.
The Athletic coach currently has three players who can act as centre-backs, as the fourth, Iñigo Martínez, has still not recovered from the plantar fasciitis that prevented him from playing an official match again since the competition resumed after the Qatar World Cup dispute. Vivian and Yeray are watching being the usual starting couple. Meanwhile, Paredes is still waiting for an opportunity as a starter on the bench.
The Bilbao centre-back already had minutes on Saturday at Anoeta. Valverde called on his services shortly after Yeray saw the red card. The lions were then playing in numerical inferiority against a Real that seemed to have abandoned 3-1.
Paredes only accumulated five official matches as a lion. In none of them did he work out as a starter. Against Cádiz, in Liga, he came on in the 88th minute, against Rayo in the 90th, against Almería in the 71st and against Real in the 66th. His only participation in the Cup started in the 68th minute of the clash against Eldense, when he replaced Yeray accurately.
Alternatives
Valverde has turned to Dani García as a central defender in several friendlies played in the past summer preseason. Vesga has also played at centre-back on a few occasions, as has Balenziaga, although the latter has hardly played any game time so far due to injuries. Last Saturday he entered the initial list for the derby, but was ultimately ruled out.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
