Injury trio Barrenetxea, Óskarsson and Herrera return early to Zubieta training ground
Real Sociedad's injured stars have cut short their Christmas break to focus on rehabilitation, with the rest of the squad expected back on Monday under new boss Matarazzo.
Three of Real Sociedad’s walking wounded have ditched the Christmas pudding early to crack on with their recovery at the club’s Zubieta training complex.
Early birds
Ander Barrenetxea, Orri Óskarsson and Yangel Herrera were spotted at the training ground on Friday, well ahead of the official Monday return date set for the rest of the squad. Talk about dedication to the cause!
It’s a particularly significant development for foreign imports Óskarsson and Herrera, whose La Real careers have barely got off the ground this season. The Icelandic striker has managed just three appearances, while Venezuelan midfielder Herrera has featured only twice in what’s been a proper nightmare start to life in San Sebastián for both players.
But this early return shows they’re proper keen to get back in the mixer under new gaffer Pellegrino Matarazzo. You love to see that kind of commitment.
New era begins
Matarazzo will officially take charge of his first training session on Monday morning, with players due to report bright and early before hitting the grass around 11:30am local time.
In a nice touch from the club, this session will be open to the public, giving the little’uns a chance to get signatures on their Christmas presents from Olentzero and Papa Noel (that’s the Basque and Spanish Christmas gift-bringers for those not in the know).
Back behind closed doors
However, it’s back to business as usual after Monday’s open session, with the club continuing their rather disappointing policy of closed-door training sessions.
This approach has become standard practice for La Real in recent seasons, but it’s a proper shame for the supporters, especially the kids, who’d love more opportunities to see their heroes up close and personal. After all, Christmas isn’t the only time youngsters want to catch a glimpse of their favorite players, is it?
With these early returnees setting the tone, there’s a sense of renewed purpose at Zubieta as Matarazzo prepares to put his stamp on a talented but underperforming squad.