Hugo Rincón and Johaneko surprise as Athletic line up vs Valencia

Athletic head into the ninth LaLiga matchday at Mestalla with Hugo Rincón and Johaneko as Terzic’s two big starters for the clash against Valencia. Both take the full-back roles, while Laporte returns to the centre of the defence after missing the previous match.

Laporte is back following a last-game absence tied to Athletic’s trip to Rayo, a match that ended up being suspended. Unai Simón guards the goal, with Paredes and Jonaneko alongside Laporte; the midfield is run by Galarreta and Gere. Robert Navarro, Canales, Berenguer and Iñaki Williams lead the attack, with Terzic continuing to use the captain as the number nine.

The bench features Guruzeta and Maroan, plus Padilla, Vivian, Yeray, Prados, Areso, Yuri, Jauregizar, Rego, Nico Serrano and young Imga. The match kicks off at night, with Adrián Cordero Vega and David Gálvez Rascón in charge of the refereeing and VAR respectively, from Las Rozas.