Athletic Club Faces Goalkeeper Crisis After Unai Simon Injury
Unai Simon Surgery as Head Coach denies to go for a replacement
Athletic Club are facing a challenging start to the season after losing their number-one goalkeeper Unai Simon to a long-term wrist injury.
Simon who played a crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 title win revealed he had been playing through the pain barrier for the good of the team. Following surgery Simon is expected to be sidelined for about four months potentially missing action until early 2025 if complications arise.
Head coach Ernesto Valverde confirmed that the club will not sign a replacement for Simon.
“We have two injured keepers and we’ll try to recover them as soon as possible,” Valverde said. “We have to work with what we have and hope to get Julen back soon.”
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Julen Agirrezabala’s Unexpected Injury
Athletic Club’s plans to rely on deputy goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala have also been disrupted. Agirrezabala who made four La Liga appearances last season and was instrumental in Athletic’s Copa del Rey triumph has also suffered a serious back injury during training.
The 23-year-old has three fractures in the right transverse processes of L2, L3, and L4 and is expected to be out until September.
With both Simon and Agirrezabala unavailable, Athletic Club will turn to youth team goalkeepers Alex Padilla and Oier Gastesi for preseason duties.
The club remains hopeful that Agirrezabala will recover quickly, but the situation has left them in a precarious position as the new season approaches.
Despite the setbacks Valverde and his team are determined to make the best of their current roster and face the upcoming challenges head-on.