It’s not been an easy start to the season for Athletic Club, with only four points from their opening four matches. Defence has been a problem for Los Leones, with Ernesto Valverde having been without first-choice centre-back Aitor Paredes since MD1 – now, his replacement has been struck down with an injury.
On Thursday, Athletic confirmed that Yeray Alvarez has injured his hamstring. Marca say that the veteran defender will be out for at least two weeks, meaning that he will miss matches against Las Palmas, Leganes and Celta Vigo, while he could also be unavailable for the Europa League opener against Roma.
Yeray’s injury will speed up Unai Nunez’s involvement, with the 27-year-old having returned to the club from Celta. Also, Paredes is expected to be return against Las Palmas this weekend, so the loss of Yeray may not be felt too much by Athletic Club and Valverde, who will hope to kick-start their season in Gran Canaria.
