Berchiche ruled out for RCDE trip; Sannadi returns to Athletic squad

Athletic’s squad news matters here because this is not some dead-end late-season game. Espanyol are still scrapping to stay up. Athletic are still trying to keep a European route alive. And just before the trip to RCDE Stadium, Ernesto Valverde lost Yuri Berchiche but got Maroan Sannadi back. ### What changed before the Espanyol game? The big update is simple — Yuri is out. Athletic’s medical note said the left-back suffered a contusion to the fibula and is now pending recovery, so he misses the Wednesday, May 13 trip to Barcelona. In the same squad call, Maroan returned after weeks out, which gives Valverde one more attacking option at a moment when bodies are thin. ### Why is Yuri’s absence a real problem? Because Athletic are not losing a fringe player. Yuri is one of the side’s veteran defenders and a regular starter when fit. He gives the team width, experience, and a lot of bite down the left. Athletic’s own player record has him at 276 official matches for the club, which tells you exactly how established he is in this group. (infobae.com) ### Who covers for him now? The obvious replacement is Adama Boiro. That is where most preview reporting landed once Yuri dropped out, and it makes sense structurally too — Athletic need a natural left-sided defender rather than a patchwork fix in a match that is likely to be tense and direct. The catch is that replacing Yuri’s legs is easier than replacing his timing and his understanding with the players around him. (athletic-club.eus) ### Why does Sannadi’s return matter? Because Athletic have been short on difference-makers. Sannadi is not just another bench body — he gives Valverde a more physical No. 9 profile, a 1.92-meter striker who can attack crosses, pin center-backs, and change the shape of a game late. He had been out for months after knee surgery and only recently returned to full training, so even making the squad is a meaningful step. (infobae.com) ### Is he ready to start? Probably not. The more realistic read is that Sannadi is an option off the bench while Athletic manage his load carefully after the long layoff. But that still matters. Late in the season, one fresh forward with a different skill set can change how a team attacks the final 20 minutes — basically, he gives Valverde another card to play. (athletic-club.eus) ### How stretched is Athletic otherwise? Pretty stretched. Yuri’s injury adds to the already known absences of Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet, which leaves Athletic without two of their biggest attacking threats and now without their first-choice left-back too. That is why this squad update feels bigger than a routine pre-match note — it changes the balance of the team. (athletic-club.eus) ### Why is Valverde talking up the stakes so much? Because both ends of the table are crowded. Valverde said Espanyol have a lot on the line, but Athletic do too, and he stressed that the final three matches are more important than people think. LaLiga’s table shows Espanyol sitting in the relegation places and the European spots still not fully sealed, so this one pulls in pressure from both directions. (infobae.com) ### Bottom line This is really a story about timing. Athletic lost a trusted starter and got back a still-building-his-fitness striker on the eve of a high-pressure away game. That does not decide the match by itself — but in a game where both clubs are chasing survival of one kind or another, squad availability could be the whole thing. (infobae.com)