Agirrezabala suffers lower back injury with Unai Simon set for a spell on sidelines

Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon will be out of action for months after surgery on his right wrist, which the international goalkeeper, who won the European Championship last Sunday with the Spanish national team, will undergo on Thursday. This was stated by the head of Athletic's medical services, Josean Lekue, who pointed out that the ‘nuances of the results of the findings" during the surgical procedure create "a sufficiently wide range" to not be able to specify, before undergoing surgery, more than a few months in terms of the recovery period.

Lekue added that the "scaphoid-semilunar instability" suffered by Simon in his wrist is an injury that they had "identified" since the start of last season and that the decision to carry out the surgery after the European Championship was "agreed between the sports area, the medical service and the player".

On the other hand, the doctor announced that the other two Athletic players who took part in the European title, Dani Vivian and Nico Williams, are “expected to have a four-week rest period”. Consequently, neither the centre-back nor the striker would be available to Ernesto Valverde during the pre-season and would return to Lezama just four days before Athletic's league opener on Thursday 15th August at San Mamés against Getafe.

 

July 16, 2024

"The circumstances of the moment will determine whether or not they are available for the first matchday", commented Lekue, who, regarding the rest of the squad, clarified that Nico Serrano, who underwent surgery on his left shoulder on 5th June, is the only player who is not fit at the start of the pre-season.

Meanwhile, Julen Agirrezabala suffered a contusion in his lower back during Tuesday's training session in Lezama, which caused "three fractures in the right transverse processes of L2, L3 and L4", according to the Bilbao club. The goalkeeper underwent a radiological study this afternoon, which revealed the triple fracture that will keep him out for a period that has not been determined by Athletic.

 

July 16, 2024