Inside Athletic

The recent pandemic significantly altered the landscape of football. Players went from being isolated at home for three months to playing important matches every three and then, in Athletic’s case, had just a three week summer vacation. Muscle injuries were one of the biggest concerns when players returned to action and proved to be an issue for every team.

So far Athletic have been relatively fortunate with injuries. Only Yuri Berchiche and Peru Nolaskoain began preseason training with physical problems, but on Tuesday another player was added to the list as the club announced that Iñigo Martínez missed training due to a hip injury.

The club explained that Martínez is dealing with a “mild-moderate injury to the right gluteus medius muscle”. It’s unclear just how much time Martínez will be sidelined with the injury, but sources claim that the defender is in danger of missing Athletic’s first preseason friendly on 29 August against Logroñés.