Luis Rioja wants to play against Athletic

Rioja trained with the group Wednesday but did not complete the session; Valencia hopeful he will feature against Athletic on Saturday.

Luis Rioja, Valencia's winger, has missed several recent matches with a complex heel and plantar fascia injury that prevented regular training. He trained with the squad Wednesday at Paterna but could not finish the session. The club believes he could be included in manager Javier Aguirre's squad for Saturday's home match against Athletic, marking Aguirre's first game at Mestalla. Hugo Duro and José Copete also trained with the group and are expected to be available.