Sancet injury woes continue as Athletic chief backs under-fire fitness coach
Athletic's director of football Mikel González defends Luis Prieto amid criticism over the team's injury crisis, while praising Sancet's commitment despite his fourth setback of the season.
Athletic’s midfield maestro Sancet faces another spell on the sidelines with his fourth injury this season, but club brass are standing firmly behind their fitness staff despite growing fan concerns.
Sancet’s struggles and external specialists
The Navarrese playmaker will miss Wednesday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final against Valencia with his third hamstring injury of the campaign. Like teammate Nico Williams, he’ll be seeing specialists outside the club to address these recurring issues.
Mikel González, Athletic’s director of football, was quick to highlight the positives despite the setback: “Sancet has increased his availability by 20% compared to last season,” he noted, adding that the player “is at his best moment of maturity and work in the last four years.”
Defence of fitness coach
González came out swinging in defense of Luis Prieto, the first-team fitness coach who joined Valverde’s staff this season and has copped a right earful from supporters over the injury crisis.
“The responsibility of physical trainers only goes so far because the manager sets all the tasks,” González explained, pointing out that Valverde has been the same manager for the last four seasons. “The criticism towards Luis Prieto is very unfair, especially since the injury situation isn’t just from this year—it’s multifactorial and we’re trying to remedy it.”
Loan players staying put
Despite the squad’s injury troubles, the club opted against recalling any players currently on loan in Segunda División. González explained this decision was made because:
- Several injured players are returning soon
- Bilbao Athletic (reserve team) offers internal options
- Loan experiences are valuable for development
He specifically mentioned Manex Lozano, currently at Racing Santander, saying they’re “happy with what he’s doing” while cautioning against putting “too much weight in his backpack.”
Other squad updates
González also addressed Areso’s dip in form, contextualizing it within the team’s overall performance issues. He additionally hinted that Selton might get some minutes with Bilbao Athletic during weeks when Valverde doesn’t plan to use him with the first team, particularly with the schedule easing now that midweek fixtures are becoming less frequent.