And three. After the Slovenians of Tabor, after the English of West Ham, here are the Spanish of Athletic Bilbao. Indeed, the Basques. Europe will also pass through the Friuli stadium on Saturday 17 December (kick-off at 20, also live on the Dazn streaming platform), almost a mental review for what will be the goal that Udinese earned during the first 15 league days and which he will try to keep alive after the break for the World Cup which will end on January 4, when Guglielmo Vicario’s Empoli will arrive in these parts for the resumption of the championship.
A sort of sprint is therefore starting, considering that within 18 days Udinese will play three friendlies, given that after Athletic Bilbao the year-end menus will also offer Lecce before Christmas, Friday 23rd again in Friuli, and Cremonese in the away game behind closed doors at the Zini stadium on Thursday 29.
In short, we return to play at a close pace to simulate championship commitments, so much so that the last two tests against Serie A teams seem made on purpose to immerse the Bianconeri in the reality of an unreal season, given the very long winter break.
But Andrea Sottil’s objective is twofold: on the one hand he wants to make Udinese turn their legs, on the other he is trying to recover, step by step, all the injured, one could almost say the long-term patients, considering that some of these they are grappling with the “dross” of the championship, with ailments that occurred between the end of October and the beginning of November.
Bram Nuytinck should therefore be back on the field on Saturday, for a defense that is still waiting for Rodrigo Becao who will be the last to return, probably in the last test of 2022. Also available is the only Juventus “world cup”, the Cameroonian Enzo Ebosse who, however, might not even make an appearance on the Rizzi rectangle, like Destiny Udogie and Jean Victor Makengo who resumed training a few days ago and should at most start from the bench.
And there, among the reserves, the Venaria Real coach could also assign “Tucu” Pereyra, struggling with a “regenerating” program, and the talent of Lazar Samardzic. Sensations, given that it is difficult to read Sottil’s thoughts between absences, recoveries (the last one should be Deulofeu, stopped by a knee problem in Naples) and close tests with a team of a certain consistency. And in this regard, it should be noted that Athletic Bilbao is fourth in the Spanish Liga after Barça and two Reals, Madrid and Sociedad.