Athletic Bilbao's forwards are being evaluated under the magnifying glass of their performance and availability. Among the forward players, Gorka Guruzeta, Maroan Sannadi and Carlos Zaballa form the group that coach Edin Terzic has been using in recent games. The analysis of their minutes and games shows notable differences in the participation of each one.
Guruzeta has appeared in four of the six games played by the club, although in the last two, against Elche and Alavés, he was forced to leave the field due to a muscle injury in his right leg. In the matches against Sevilla and Barcelona, he started as a starter and in the next two he entered the second half. His total minutes played amounts to 178, which places him as the sixteenth player with the most playing time on the squad. For his part, Carlos Zaballa has had a more limited role, with just 69 minutes on the field, and has only completed three games in their entirety, two of them at home (against Barça and Celta) and one in San Mamés against Atlético.
Maroan, on the other hand, started in the final of the Euskal Herria Txapela on October 2, where he scored the winning goal with a header after a free kick from Robert Navarro. That victory, although more comfortable than usual, was marred by the good performance of the local goalkeeper, Marrero. Regarding his participation in the league, Maroan has played three games, all coming on as a substitute, and it is expected that next Saturday, in Vallecas, he will also start from the bench, with Iñaki Williams as the main reference.
Coach Terzic has demonstrated a rotation strategy up front, trying to balance the physical load of his players and find the best offensive combination. The numbers reveal that Guruzeta remains the most reliable option in terms of minutes, while Zaballa and Maroan are used more as second-line reinforcements. Guruzeta's injury and the availability of the other two forwards could influence the team's tactics for the upcoming games, especially against high-level opponents. Athletic will continue to evaluate the fitness and contribution of each striker as the season progresses.