Nico Williams earrings for the derby

Yesterday Athletic started preparing for this Saturday’s derby against Real. Valverde, after giving his players a rest on Tuesday, held the first preparation session before the visit of the Txuri Urdin team to San Mamés. Nico Williams, who last Sunday asked for a change late in the cup match against Eibar in Ipurua, worked independently of his teammates.

The red and white striker has gone out to run on his own under the supervision of Xabi Clemente. Navarrese did his corresponding continuous running session wearing sneakers in one of the depths of field 1 in Lezama. Meanwhile, his companions did the same in other areas of the aforementioned field.

There seems to be no reason to be alarmed about the physical condition of the youngest Williams, because the ibaigane entity did not release a medical report regarding his situation after the match against Joseba Etxeberria’s team that was held on Sunday at the gunsmith stadium. We will have to see how Nico evolves in the next few hours, but all indications are that he will arrive in the right conditions to face Real in San Mamés on Saturday.

The group’s companion during the final training session at Athletic was Gorka Guruzeta. The San Sebastian striker, currently top scorer for the Bilbao team alongside the now absent Iñaki Williams, was not part of last Sunday’s squad at Eibar as Valverde saw fit to rest him. The San Sebastian striker just got over the febrile process during the Christmas break, although at Pizjuán, against Sevilla, he was part of the starting eleven.

In the group

Yeray, who was also not on the squad list for Eibar and was also left out for the Pizjuán event, worked yesterday with the rest of his teammates under Valverde’s orders. The rojiblanco coach himself clarified before the two appointments that the Barakaldo center-back suffered some discomfort typical of the recovery he made after undergoing adductor surgery on his right leg on October 18.

Dani García, who is also low on the list of Athletic’s latest commitments, was one of the new arrivals at yesterday’s preparatory session in Lezama. The Zumarraga midfielder rejoined the group after suffering an injury to the rectus femoris of his right leg at the end of November.

Valverde, therefore, only has the certain absence of Iñaki Williams to face the derby against Real next Saturday in San Mamés. The lions will train again today and tomorrow morning at Lezama starting at 11 am.

In yesterday’s work session of the red and white first team, Unai Simón and Agirrezabala, Basconia’s 19-year-old goalkeeper Mikel Santos, worked together.