Athletic left without first-team goalkeepers for EH Kopa

Athletic head into the EH Kopa final against Real Sociedad with a goalkeeper problem. As reported by Mundo Deportivo, international call-ups have left Terzic without any first-team goalkeepers available for the match on Friday, 2 October, at Anoeta.

No first-team keepers

The reason is straightforward: Unai Simón is with Spain and Padilla has been called up by Mexico, meaning both will miss the final. Mundo Deportivo also notes that De la Fuente has several Athletic players in this international break, but the immediate issue for the club is that the first-team goalkeeping spot is left empty.

It’s also a period without regular club competition. As Mundo Deportivo adds, Athletic won’t return to LaLiga action until Saturday, 10 October, at Rayo, even though the EH Kopa final comes earlier.

Terzic’s options come from the B team

Mundo Deportivo suggests the most logical choice is Mikel Santos from the B side, since he already did pre-season work under Terzic. The complication is that Primera RFEF does not pause: on Sunday, 4 October, the Bilbao Athletic play against Extremadura at Lezama (12:00), raising the question of whether Santos can cover both games.

If Santos can’t do it, Mundo Deportivo reports that Simón García or Pagazartundua would be the alternatives between the posts for the final.

Regarding Padilla, the same source includes Terzic’s remarks. The Athletic coach says Padilla is “performing very well,” even though he hasn’t played “a single minute in LaLiga,” praising his hard work in training and saying he wants to have players like ‘Padi’ in his team because they deliver in every session.