Valverde Spoilt for Choice as Athletic Head to Vallecas for Crucial Run of Fixtures

Athletic Club are heading into one of the most important weeks of their season in genuinely good nick — and for once, Ernesto Valverde actually has options.

The Fixture List Is Brutal, But the Mood Is Bright

This Saturday’s trip to Vallecas kicks off a relentless run that also includes Real Sociedad and Barcelona in quick succession. Three massive games, back to back. Valverde and his squad trained at Lezama on Thursday — their penultimate session before flying down to Madrid on Friday afternoon — and by all accounts, the gaffer is well chuffed with what he’s got available.

Finally, Some Bodies to Pick From

For much of the season, Valverde has been working with a threadbare squad, particularly at centre-back. That changes this weekend:

• Laporte, Vivian and Paredes are all fit and available — a luxury that’s barely existed this campaign
• Berenguer and Jauregizar have shown clear improvement across the week and are in contention for the squad
• Eder García, the latest filial lad to break into the first-team picture this season, remains very much in Valverde’s plans

Having three senior centre-backs to choose from might not sound like much, but given how the last few months have gone, it’s practically a treat.

What’s at Stake at Vallecas

Athletic haven’t strung together four consecutive league wins at any point this season. That record could change on Saturday, and the players know it. A win at Rayo would:

• Extend their winning run to four — a landmark they haven’t hit all campaign
• Drag them firmly into European contention in the table
• Give them serious momentum heading into the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad

The dressing room, which apparently went through a wobble of doubt a few weeks back when the European places looked distant, has rediscovered its confidence. Good timing, that.

The Kit Situation — A Bit of a Storyline in Itself

Here’s a fun subplot: Athletic will wear their fourth kit on Saturday — the red shirt with black shorts and socks that was unveiled back in December. It’s only been worn once before, against Celta, and that game ended in defeat. The kit was quietly shelved after that, skipped for matches against Sevilla and Valencia where it could technically have been used.

Now it’s back. Whether you’re superstitious or not, the players clearly feel differently about things this time around. The vibe in the camp is positive enough that even a cursed kit isn’t a worry.

The Bigger Picture

Valverde has done a decent job of keeping spirits up through a difficult winter, and the squad is starting to look like what it was supposed to be at the start of the season — deep enough to compete on multiple fronts. Rayo at Vallecas is never a straightforward afternoon out, mind. Francisco’s side make that ground a proper nightmare to visit. But if Athletic are serious about Europe and a Copa run, this is exactly the sort of fixture they need to be winning.