The Royal Society this playing with fire. Their protests and resources have been of no use to the ‘txuri-urdin’ team, forced to play tonight in Alicante in the first round tie of the King’s Cup that must face the modest FC Jove Español. Up to 14 absences, between the injured and their numerous internationals (it is the LaLiga club that gave up the most troops during this break), the people from San Sebastian had alleged to try to reschedule this appointment, but neither the RFEF Appeals Committee nor the justice system ordinary they have been proven right and now Imanol Alguacil will have to balance on a tightrope.
The Orio coach has decided that rather than exposing yourself to injuries to important pieces (this weekend there is a Basque derby) it was preferable to risk up to the limit of improper alignment which would cost him immediate expulsion from the Copa del Rey, a tournament in which the locker room has set the goal of playing in a final again, after winning it in 2021 and falling in the penalty shootout in the semifinals last year. edition. It is worth remembering that the RFEF standard requires that at all times there be a minimum of seven first team players on the playing fieldsomething that Real Sociedad will have a hard time fulfilling, since in the call for 21 players announced yesterday to travel to Levantine lands there were only 12 players from the senior squad and one of them was also absent at the last minute.
Umar Sadiq left the squad due to muscle discomfort and that limits the number of expedition members to only 11 first team members: goalkeeper Unai Marrero, defenders Álvaro Odriozola, Aihen Muñoz, Aritz Elustondo and Jon Pacheco; the midfielders Beñat Turrientes, Sergio Gómez and the almost forgotten Urko González de Zárate and Jon Ander Olasagasti; the winger Ander Barrenetxea and the forward Jon Magunazelaia, another who remains almost unprecedented in this 24/25. The 11 will not be able to appear in Imanol’s initial lineup, because then Real Sociedad would be left unable to make changes; but at least eight of them must always be playing, because if they adjust to the minimum of seven and suffer an expulsion, they would already be committing improper alignment.
The last of the foals to be mentioned was June 1stwho obtained a passport after learning of Sadiq’s withdrawal. Next to him will be the attackers as well. Mariezkur’s y Marchal; the under 21 international goalkeeper Aitor Fraga; the defenders Balda, Rupérez and Beitia; and the media Pablo Marín, Goti y Mikel Rodriguez. Of all of them, only Pablo Marín knows what it’s like to debut with the first team, but he travels just after recovering from a muscle injury that has kept him out of action for a month and a half, while Fraga and Rupérez have at least been called up on some occasions.
Álex Remiro, Hamari Traoré, Javi López, Jon Mikel Aramburu, Nayef Aguerd, Igor Zubeldia, Jon Martín, Martín Zubimendi, Arsen Zakharyan, Brais Méndez, Luka Sucic, Take Kubo, Mikel Oyarzabal, have stayed in Donosti, for different reasons, Sheraldo Becker, Orri Óskarsson and Umar Sadiq himself. “We are only going with 21. We had to think and decide seeing where the players come from and that we have to have seven from the first team on the field. That will determine the eleven and the possible changes“, assumed Imanol Alguacil in the press conference prior to going up to balance on the wire. He prefers to risk an improper alignment rather than forcing himself by lining up an eleven that he shouldn’t have and regretting it on Sunday’s league visit to San Mamés (Bilbao).
