Athletic Club and Mallorca will meet in San Mamés in a undefeated duel in the first three days of LaLiga through which both teams aspire to consolidate in the first half of the table after a hopeful start to the competition for rojiblancos and vermilions.
Those of Marcelino García Toral, in the brief triptych prior to the first parenthesis of selections, proved to be a solid and reliable team -especially in defense- that has gone from less to more with the passage of the games.
The Asturian coach started the course with a fixed block With practically no variations except the entry of Unai Simón in Vigo, after the international goalkeeper’s vacation, and that of Iñigo Lekue on the right side against Barça due to the injury of Óscar de Marcos.
For Mallorca, directed by Luis García Plaza, It has been the dreamed start and the Mallorcanismo hopes that it will continue in a setting as demanding as La Catedral, where the vermilion have not won since May 2, 2010 (1-3) and have lost in the last five visits.
It is also likely that the asian duo of the vermilion team formed by Kubo, on loan from Real Madrid, and Kang In Lee, former Valencia player, match for the first time on a pitch defending the same colors.
The Japanese and the South Korean have developed a parallel career in grassroots football for FC Barcelona and Valencia where they have faced each other in fingerling tournaments but have never worn the same shirt.
Kubo is at an optimal moment, being decisive in the task of opening spaces on rival defenses; read has shown in training that is in condition to debut if García Plaza thinks it is convenient.
For the duel against Mallorca, Marcelino will be forced to introduce at least one other variant in the starting team due to Oihan Sancet’s injury. The Navarrese, companion of Iñaki Williams in attack and author of the play that gave rise to the winning goal against the sky blue, will miss this appointment due to injury.
Sancet received a blow to the right knee in that same game that prevented him from playing for the under-21 team and that has kept him out of the group ever since. His position will be filled by a Raúl García that will be released from the beginning before the Balearic team.
In addition to the attacker from Pamplona, cause loss for Athletic: Yuri Berchiche, still in the process of recovering from his pubic operation; Yeray Alvarez, in rehabilitation of tendinopathy in the left patellar tendon; and the long-term injured Peru Nolaskoain.
The one who does recover the coach of the rojiblancos is Óscar de Marcos, already recovered from his muscular problems, who enters the list of 22 summoned together with substitute goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta and youth squad Nico Serrano.
For its part, García Plaza recovers the five internationals after the championship break: Fer Niño (Spain Under-21); Martín Valjent (Slovakia); Junior Lake (Ivory Coast); Baba Idrissu (Ghana) and Take Kubo (Japan), but will not be able to count on the centrals Antonio Raíllo and Franco Russo, with physical problems.
Another footballer who could have minutes in San Mamés from the hand of the vermilion coach is American Matthew Hoppe, ex of Schalke 04, that this same Friday has received the work permit and LaLiga’s authorization to play, as confirmed by the Balearic club.
– Probable lineups
Athletic Club: Unai Simon; Lekue, Vivian, Iñigo Martínez, Balenziaga; Berenguer, Dani García, Vencedor, Muniain; Raúl García and Williams.
Majorca: Queen; Maffeo, Valjent, Sedlar, Oliván; Mboula, Baba, Ruiz de Galarreta, Dani Rodríguez; Kubo and Fer Niño.
Referee: Jorge Figueroa Vázquez (Andalusian Committee).
Stadium: San Mamés.
Hour: 21.00 hours.