Valverde was able to start preparing for tomorrow’s match against Getafe yesterday with all his internationals in good condition, including Unai Simón. The rojiblanco goalkeeper, who was not part of Luis de la Fuente’s first call-up as Spain coach when he was out, joined the group work at Lezama as normal yesterday. The coach himself shook hands with the goalkeeper from Gasteiz, who was injured in the match against Girona on February 26, before the start of the preparation session.
Along with Unai Simón, Julen Agirrezabala appeared, back from his tour with the Spanish under-21 team, as did his teammates Sancet and Paredes. The young Athletic goalkeeper participated in the first clash of La Rojilla, but in the second, against France, he remained on the bench, the same as the central defender, who only had the last minute of the aforementioned first meeting against Switzerland.
The Navarrese midfielder, for his part, took part in both matches for the Spanish U-21 team, although he did not complete any of them. In the second, against the Frenchmen, he only played the first 45 minutes. Sancet is one of the fixtures in Valverde’s line-ups, especially when it comes to San Mamés matches.
The ‘absolute’ too
Yesterday’s training in Lezama also served as a return to work for the full internationals from Spain and Qatar. Iñigo Martínez, who completed 90 minutes of Tuesday’s match at Handem Park against Scotland and is signed by Barça for next season, began the preparation session with the rest of his teammates without a clear lack of relief Ondarrutarra finished the duel against the Scots with some physical problems after receiving a strong blow from one of his rivals.
Nico Williams, who was less prominent in minutes than expected in De la Fuente’s debut as a coach, also worked normally in this training session held yesterday in Lezama. The Navarrese winger, one of the few saved from the burn in the clash between Spain and the Scots, could be in action tomorrow in the crucial league clash against Getafe in San Mamés. We will have to wait, in any case, to see what the Athletic coach’s intentions are for the next two home games.
His brother Iñaki has the most kilometers of the six Athletic internationals who have had to cover the most kilometers in this competitive break, but he also missed out on the starting eleven for Ghana last Monday against Angola. The striker from Bilbao, a substitute in his team, has only half an hour in the game, so he is ready to face Getafe.
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.
