Unai Nuñez pushes through sciatica as Valencia chase survival with two games left | OneFootball

Unai Nuñez has two matches left of his Valencia stint, yet his commitment to their survival push remains total.

According to AS, the defender has been training and playing through sciatica for more than a month, having already missed the games against Elche and Mallorca.

Nuñez earned a starting role within two weeks of his January arrival. Since injuring himself in the 63rd minute against Celta at Mestalla on 5 April, he has struggled for comfort, featuring in three of the last six fixtures. Those were late cameos of 19 minutes against Girona and seven against Athletic, aside from 58 against Rayo Vallecano after Renzo Saravia’s injury.

Despite the pain, he has stayed in matchday squads in case Carlos Corberán needed him, as happened versus Rayo. Valencia’s defence has been stretched by injuries to Thierry, Copete and, until a couple of weeks ago, Eray Cömert and Nuñez.

When Renzo went off in the 30th minute, Corberán sent both Nuñez and Thierry to warm up. Thierry had only just returned after several weeks out, and with over an hour left there was a risk of relapse that could have cost a substitution window and his season.

Nuñez was chosen to fill in at right-back. Playing through discomfort, he recorded 69 involvements, the second most for Valencia, and completed 39 passes, the third most, despite playing 30 fewer minutes than several team-mates. He is expected to start against Real.

Source: AS