Galarreta misses Copa and derby

Moderate hamstring injury rules out midfielder for Copa del Rey debut and Basque derby.

Ruiz de Galarreta has suffered a moderate hamstring injury to his right leg, confirmed by medical tests following discomfort sustained in Sunday's match against Getafe. The injury will keep him sidelined for Athletic's Copa del Rey opener on Thursday against Prat and the Basque derby against Real Sociedad on Sunday at San Mamés.

Manager Terzic, who has regularly relied on Galarreta to drive the team's play, will need to adjust his midfield options for both competitions. Alternatives include Gerenabarrena (recently recovered), Jauregizar, Canales, Rego and Prados. The club expects to offset Galarreta's absence with the return of Sancet, who is in the final stages of recovery from his own moderate calf injury.