Josean Lekue hands over to Gontzal Beitia as Athletic reshape medical department | OneFootball

Athletic have reshaped their medical department, affecting first-team routines. Josean Lekue steps aside after a gruelling, injury-hit year he linked partly to Champions League demands. Gontzal Beitia, with more than 23 years’ experience and a strong bond with the club, takes charge.

According to as.com, Lekue said protocols matched those of two seasons ago, yet last term delivered the worst medical metrics of the past 11 and the previous was the best. He cited chance and said it was unusual to go from no cruciate injuries to three.

World Cup trio Simón, Laporte and Nico Williams will take three weeks off once their tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada ends this weekend. They are due back around 10 August, missing five weeks under Terzic, and could train with team-mates for two weeks once the postponement of Barça-Athletic is confirmed.

Their plan covers one week of full rest, one of general activation and one of specific activation. Iñaki Williams will follow the same timeline, due at Lezama around 27 July. Lekue praised the captain’s durability and said he needs different care to Gift, an example of a player starting out.

Gorosabel suffered a moderate medial adductor issue after last season and is expected back with the group in a couple of weeks. Serrano is working apart with a rectus femoris overload, Prados is fully available after a cruciate rupture, and Yuri has rested. Berenguer has overcome a right big-toe problem, though minor discomfort lingers in certain actions, while Sannadi is in optimal condition after a knee injury.

Source: as.com