10 days ahead Imanol
Sheriff to prepare for the final of the Copa del Rey. It is an intense week and a half in which he will have to cast the 11 footballers chosen for glory, dealing with the difficulties that circumstances have thrown at him, a list of eight injured and five more enrolled with his national teams, almost the half of the workforce conditioned by one or another factor. The adventure begins tomorrow Wednesday because, after two days of rest, it will be the day that Imanol He will conduct his first specific training session for the final of the Copa del Rey on April 3.
The first thing the coach wants and must know is how the injured and affected footballers are, as this will decisively influence their decisions for the final. 10 days before the big date, there are five positions that still dance in the realistic line-up, without a fixed owner, three directly related to physical problems and two for technical reasons.
Imanol expect to have two players like Silva Y Monreal, which does not mean that they can exercise from Wednesday. The presence of the Gran Canaria, which presents that painful blow to the hip, is more guaranteed, because it does not have a break and everything depends on its resistance to pain. Right quadriceps tendonitis Monreal something else worries, but in the case of a final, the Navarrese will hurry.
Veterans with no substitutes
The presence of these two very veteran players is conceived as vital, on the one hand due to their extensive experience in decisive and final matches, which will take them away from the fear of the beginner, and on the other because they have no clear substitute. The one of Silva could be Guridi, but the Azpeitiarra is ruled out due to his grade II injury to the left hip adductor. The solution of overtaking a '4' like Guevara or Illarra to the steering wheel position has been used by Imanol not always successful.
On the left flank, it's not easy to get there Aihen, natural substitute for Monreal, whose tear in the left adductor longus is grade I. The solution with Merquelanz it did not go well against Barça and would force an unwanted change of system against Athletic. Other alternatives, such as placing Sagnan or some 'foal' like Ekaitz
Jimenez or Imanol
Ezkurdia are unexplored.
Aritz and Zaldua, spoiled
For its part, Imanol is taking care of Aritz with care. He has not played since February 14 and, like ZalduaHe has already done some training with the group, when his damaged ankle has allowed it. Against these two veterans, more than their injuries, plays their inactivity, which will be more than a month and a half on April 3.
The tactical doubts are located in the position of “4” and in the one of extreme right. For the first, the chosen one was being, deservedly, Zubimendi, but his week and a half with the U-21 can penalize him in favor of Illarramendi or Guevara. In the right hand, For your would gain integers with respect to Januzaj for the same reason.
Remiro; Gorosabel, Zubeldia, You
Normand, Monreal; Illarra, Merino, Silva; For your, Isak Y Oyarzabal is the base team. Injuries and international matches could upset it.