Valverde's 11

Ernesto Valverde has struggled to get Athletic Club firing on all cylinders this term after leading them to their best league finish in 16 years last season, but after successive wins over Almería and Sevilla, Los Leones look to be finally finding their feet.

The loss of top scorer Aritz Aduriz to a hamstring injury is a big blow to the Basques, but Valverde is expected to stick with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with exciting 21-year-old Guillermo Fernández stepping in. Here, LFP.es predicts how the Athletic team will look when they take on Valencia in the Game of the Week.

Gorka Iraizoz (GK)
Games played: 9, Goals conceded: 12
Few goalkeepers in the Liga BBVA possess the experience of the 33-year-old, who has been Athletic’s number one since re-joining the club in 2007 from Espanyol. He has played every competitive game in what has been a testing season so far, but against Valencia will be hoping to make it three clean sheets in a row after keeping Almería and Sevilla at bay.

Óscar de Marcos (RB)
Games played: 8, Assists: 1
The versatile 25-year-old has been deployed as a right-winger and attacking midfielder this term but is most used to playing on the right of defence, using his pace and ability on the ball to support the attackers. He is usually preferred to veteran Andoni Iraola against the more dynamic teams due to his speed, which will come in handy against the lightning-quick José Gayà.

Nevertheless, Iraola is one of Athletic's most important players. The Usúrbil-born defender has played six times in Liga BBVA, and always gives his all on the pitch.

Xabier Etxeita (CB)
Games played: 3, Goals:1
Missed most of last season due to injury but has been very impressive in the games he has played this term, adding extra strength and aggression to the back line, exemplified by an average of 1.8 tackles and 4.5 clearances per game. For fitness reasons he is able to play more often than captain Carlos Gurpegui, who got the nod for the UEFA Champions League game with FC Porto on Wednesday. Scored the only goal in the win at Almería, Athletic’s first victory on the road this season.

Veteran Carlos Gurpegi, who has started six games this season, could also come into the reckoning for Ernesto Valverde. His experience and defensive solidity mean that he is a useful option against dangerous attackers such as Pablo Piatti, Paco Alcacér and Rodrigo Moreno.

Aymeric Laporte (CB)
Games played: 9, Minutes played: 810
Immensely talented with the ball at his feet as well as possessing all the traditional attributes of a central defender, the 20-year-old is one of the first names on Valverde’s team sheet despite his tender age. He is strong in the tackle and reliable at sniffing out danger, making an average of 3.9 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game.

Mikel Balenziaga (LB)
Games played: 10, Minutes played: 900
The more defensive of Athletic’s two full-backs, Balenziaga makes an average of 3.3 tackles and two interceptions per game. He has played every minute of the league campaign and his positional awareness is vital to maintaining the team’s balance.

Ander Iturraspe (DM)
Games played: 10, Minutes played: 900
Immensely valued by Valverde for his excellent positional awareness and ball distribution. He makes the most passes in the team per game, and his discipline allows fellow midfielder Mikel Rico to maraud forward.

Mikel Rico (DM)
Games played: 9, Minutes played: 818
Traditionally a more defensive-minded player with Huesca and Granada, the midfielder has found a new lease of life at Athletic, far more involved in forward play and also scoring more often, finding the net five times last season. However, he needs to regain his influence in attack in order to drive Athletic forward again.

Markel Susaeta (AM)
Games played: 9, assists: 1
One of Athletic’s most lively attacking players, his role in the side will take on even more importance in the absence of Aduriz. Was constantly involved in the win over Sevilla, assisting Aduriz for the only goal of the game and was unlucky not to score himself on two occasions.

Beñat (AM)
Games played: 6, Minutes played: 398
Gradually growing into the more advanced role he has been asked to play this season after Ander Herrera left for Manchester United. Has 74 percent passing accuracy and is very useful at set-pieces.

Iker Muniain / Ibai Gómez (AM)
Games played: 10, Minutes played: 841 / Games played: 1, Minutes played: 256
Muniain is one of Valverde's most talented players. Electric and unpredictable, he is a consistent thorn in the side of opposition defences. His place on the pitch might be under threat from Ibai Gómez, who started the UEFA Champions League tie with FC Porto and stood out with his goals from the bench last season.

Guillermo Fernández (CF)
Games played: 1, Minutes played: 180
Has massive shoes to fill due to the absence of Aduriz, who has scored more than half of Athletic’s goals this year. He scored against BATE Borisov off the mark in the Champions League but still yet to find the net in the league, where he has mostly played as a substitute. Now he has the perfect opportunity to show what he is made of, and what better place to do that than the Mestalla?

Borja Viguera could well be given the nod up top in the absence of Aduriz. The forward has featured in five Liga BBVA matches thus far, and showed his goalscoring abilities last season as he scored 25 times for D. Alavés in Liga Adelante.