Athletic’s ‘reinforcements’ are from home

Athletic returned to training yesterday after a painful league defeat the previous day in San Mamés against Girona. Beyond the result itself, which deprived the lions of entering the European square and finding themselves overtaken in the table by an Osasuna capable of winning in Pizjuán, the concern in the rojiblanco dressing room focused on the physical condition of some of their players and the possibility of them arriving or not in condition for the cup duel against the rojillo team itself in El Sadar.

According to what could be witnessed during the first weekly work session, Valverde took advantage of the morning to see in action the players who had some minutes or did not play in the league match against the Girona squad. There are also some parts of Bilbao Athletic, who also did not enter the starting eleven of Álex Pallarés on Sunday afternoon against Real B in Zubieta, who were promoted to the first team to complete training. Luis Bilbao, a winger who last summer was part of the preseason under Valverde and started on the bench in the derby against the San Sebastián team, is one of them.

Ander Herrera and Iñigo Martínez, who are both in the process of their respective injuries and still have not received a medical discharge (even from the club no one has informed on this matter). they worked with apparent normality and even in exercises or actions where the ball was involved. We will have to wait and see what the final injury list is and, based on it, what Valverde’s intentions are with both players ahead of tomorrow’s clash.

Athletic, in any case, is planning to train this afternoon in Lezama. Information about the physical state of Nico Williams varies depending on the provider of the same. Valverde spoke about a knock on the knee and did not rule out the World Cup player for the appointment at El Sadar. The club’s medical report, however, pointed in a different direction when it was pointed out that Navarrese “suffered a sprain of the internal lateral ligament of his right knee” in training before the match against Girona.

The Adu Ares Option

According to this report it seems unlikely that the youngest of the Williams family will arrive in time to face the first leg of the semi-cup against Osasuna. Something similar is happening with Raúl García, as the Navarrese finished the last match with a “sprain in the left acromioclavicular joint”. Adu Ares, who already made his debut as a lion against Mallorca on the first day of the League and was a substitute against Cádiz, appears on the horizon as an alternative to have a place on the list for El Sadar.