Athletic Bilbao have confirmed that playmaker Daniel Sancet will once again be available for coach Xabi Alonso after overcoming the left soleus injury he suffered three weeks ago. The player, who returned to training with the first team this morning, will be at the disposal of the coaching staff for the derby against Real Sociedad, which will take place at San Mamés next Sunday at 9:00 p.m. The decision on his final participation will be at the discretion of Alonso, who will evaluate his physical condition before the match.
Sancet is not the only player who has resumed physical activity after an injury. Nico Williams, who had spent 20 minutes in the match against Ciutat de València after recovering from an injury, has also joined the group. The team, after beating Prat 6‑1 in the last Copa del Rey match, returned to Bilbao and headed to Lezama to continue preparation. The players with the greatest workload in L'Hospitalet training carried out recovery sessions, while the rest completed a more conventional session.
Coach Xabi Alonso has been preparing the squad list and line-up for the derby. Among the players who could appear in the starting eleven are Yuri, Laporte, and others who have been with the rest of the group in Lezama. Striker Robert Navarro, who played 86 minutes in the last game and was one of the standouts, is also expected to be available, although his inclusion will depend on the final evaluation of his physical condition. Other names that could appear in the squad are Maroan, Iñaki Williams and Hugo Rincón, who have been part of Alonso's strategy in previous matches.
Athletic will carry out its last training session before the derby tomorrow, starting at 10:30 am in Lezama. Xabi Alonso will speak at the conclusion of the match and clarify the status of the players before the game. The official squad list will not be published until the morning of the match day, following the usual practice with the German coach. With the deadline of the competition and the pressure of consecutive matches, the final decision on the lineup will depend on the availability and performance of the players in previous training sessions.