Jauregizar and Berenguer doubts cloud Athletic's return to training
Athletic Bilbao head back to Lezama on Monday with two injury concerns hanging over them ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
Two injury headaches are threatening to spoil Athletic Bilbao’s week as the squad returns to Lezama on Monday after a rare couple of days off.
The situation at a glance
Valverde’s side have had one of their first properly spacious weeks of the season — a bit of breathing room they’ve desperately needed. But the good news ends there, because two players are in the treatment room and their availability for upcoming fixtures in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey is genuinely up in the air.
Jauregizar: cautious optimism
The young forward picked up a knee hyperextension with bone oedema in his right leg during the trip to Oviedo — and in classic Athletic spirit, he still managed to score while carrying the injury. Proper old-school stuff, that.
He spent last week away from group training, working instead with the physios. An MRI was done the day after the Tartiere match to rule out anything more serious, and the results were apparently encouraging enough that there’s genuine hope he can build up his workload this week.
- Best-case scenario: he makes the squad for the Copa del Rey fixture
- Contingency: if the Vallecas league trip comes too soon, the cup game could be his re-entry point
- Still very much touch and go, mind
Berenguer: the more worrying one
This is the one that’s got a few eyebrows raised at Lezama. Berenguer has been struggling with traumatic arthritis in the big toe of his right foot — not the most glamorous injury, but an absolute nightmare to manage — and it’s been keeping him out since the day after the Basque derby.
In February alone, he’s only featured in one league game (against Real Sociedad). He’s missed:
- La Liga: Levante, Oviedo, Elche
- Copa del Rey: Valencia, Real Sociedad
He’s had multiple injections trying to get himself fit, but there’s still no clear timeline on when he’ll be back — or how long he’ll stay fit once he is. That uncertainty is the real issue here. Valverde can plan around a definite absence, but a player who might be available and might not is a proper headache when you’re trying to build momentum.
What it means for Athletic
With fixtures stacking up across two competitions, losing two wide options — even temporarily — puts a bit of pressure on the squad’s depth. Valverde has generally kept things tight this season, but he’ll need answers from the medical staff sharpish when the lads report back Monday morning.
The coming week of training will tell us a lot about who’s actually in contention and who’s still a few days away from being considered.