Athletic Club’s hopes of mounting a comeback in the Europa League semi-final against Manchester United have received a huge blow following the absence of their three top scorers from the traveling squad ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford.
Bilbao’s first leg heartbreak
Bilbao faced an uphill battle in their quest for a place in the final after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Manchester United side at San Mames last Thursday. The Basques were reduced to ten men in the first half, shortly after falling behind to a 30th-minute strike from Casemiro, with Bruno Fernandes adding two more before the break to compound their woes.
Huge fitness blows ahead of second leg
Heading into the second leg, Ernesto Valverde is set to be without the Williams brothers Inaki and Nico as the duo have been sidelined by injury. Nico, who has been dealing with a groin injury in recent weeks, was a fitness doubt ahead of the first leg but still featured at San Mames.
However, he failed to make the kind of impact that has attracted interest from top clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona and Liverpool. The Euro 2024 champion missed Sunday’s Basque derby against Real Sociedad, while his brother Inaki was forced off after just an hour.
Bilbao’s top scorers ruled out
Alongside Oihan Sancet, who is also ruled out with a foot injury, the Williams brothers are Athletic Club’s top scorers this season. The three players have posted more than half of the team’s overall output with a combined tally of 39 goals across all competitions between them so far.
However, they will be unable to contribute as Valverde’s men look to pull off the unthinkable at Old Trafford. Man United have not been particularly good on their home turf this season so that will inspire some confidence in the Spaniards. It will be interesting to see how they adapt on Thursday.
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