Athletic's derby day crisis: Sancet fails final fitness test, Vivian sidelined
Ernesto Valverde faces major selection headaches for the Copa del Rey Basque derby as key players are ruled out, forcing Athletic to call up several B-team youngsters.
Athletic Club will face bitter rivals Real Sociedad with a severely depleted squad after Oihan Sancet failed a late fitness test, adding to Ernesto Valverde’s mounting injury concerns.
Derby day squad crisis
The Lions will head into the crucial Copa del Rey clash without several key players, forcing Valverde to name a 22-man squad that leans heavily on Bilbao Athletic (B team) talent.
Sancet, who had participated in much of Monday’s training session, couldn’t pass Tuesday’s final assessment. His absence adds to a growing injury list that’s giving Valverde proper grief ahead of the Basque derby.
Dani Vivian is another significant absentee. The defender hasn’t returned to group training due to muscle problems, and his situation worsened Tuesday when he picked up a virus. Talk about bad timing!
The defensive crisis is particularly concerning with:
- Yeray Álvarez already unavailable
- Inigo Paredes suspended
- Yuri Berchiche previously ruled out
- Alex Berenguer also sidelined
Youth to the rescue
Just like in the quarter-final against Valencia, 20-year-old Iker Monreal will start in central defence. The derby will mark only his second appearance for Athletic’s first team - quite the baptism of fire for the youngster!
Valverde has also called up B-team defender Duñabeitia to provide bench cover for the decimated backline.
Another interesting inclusion is Eder García, an attacking midfielder who joined Lezama this season from… Real Sociedad. The 22-year-old spent seven years in La Real’s youth system and was instrumental in helping their B team gain promotion to Segunda División last season, scoring 4 goals in 35 appearances.
García, who signed with Athletic until 2029, maintains good relationships with several Real Sociedad players - which should add a bit of spice to an already fiery derby atmosphere.
As for Sancet, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be available for the upcoming match against Oviedo or if his return will be delayed another week. Either way, Athletic are going into this cup tie with their backs against the wall, but as any fan knows, that’s sometimes when the Leones roar loudest.