Bilbao: Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde says he has no objection if Barcelona want to rest their big guns in the last 16 first leg Copa del Rey tie at the San Mames Stadium on Thursday night (kick-off quarter past midnight Friday morning UAE time).
The tie is a repeat of the 2015 Cup final, which Barcelona won 3-1 in their own Camp Nou stadium and also last season’s quarter-final in which too the Catalans progressed, Xinhua reported.
However, Athletic supporters will remember the 5-1 victory over Barcelona, which kicked off the 2015-16 season with them winning the Spanish Supercup, the club’s first trophy in over 30 years.
With Barcelona’s South American stars only returning to training on Tuesday after their Christmas holidays, Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique could be tempted to rest some or all of his attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
“We have to face one of the best sides in the world, if not the best in the world, and we have to do our best against them,” said Valverde, who added that “nothing is pre-ordained in football.”
The man who many believe could replace Luis Enrique at the Camp Nou next season has to contend with injuries to key players in the Athletic squad. Midfielder Benat Etxebarria is struggling to be fit to start while Oscar de Marcos is recovering from a foot injury. Young central defender Yeray Alvarez is out for the long term after undergoing an operation for testicular cancer on December 27.
Before the Christmas break, Barcelona were looking as if they had returned to their best form with the return of midfield talisman Andres Iniesta from injury.
But with Barcelona facing a difficult must-win contest against Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, it will be interesting to see who plays and who doesn’t.
