Athletic Bilbao vs Zaragoza preview - Herrera saddened by Zaragoza plight

Posted Saturday, December 17, 2011 by PA

Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera will put any sympathy for the plight of former club Real Zaragoza to one side this weekend in a bid to help his current employers pick up their first league win in a month.

Herrera came up through the youth ranks at Zaragoza before making an 8.5million euro switch to Athletic this summer and the 22-year-old admits it hurts to see his old team struggling.

Zaragoza currently prop up the Primera Division standings with just two wins and 10 points from 15 games this season, and they are five points adrift of safety.

Zaragoza have also had off-field concerns, but Herrera has warned his Athletic team-mates not to underestimate the threat posed by Javier Aguirre's side.

He said: "Sadly, the club is going through a very difficult financial and institutional situation. It's a shame because they are a team who I carry in my heart, but in a 90-minute match these problems are forgotten.

"We have to impose ourselves on them, because they are going to try and beat us and they have the ability to do it."

Nevertheless, Herrera will put any sentimentality to the back of his mind during the clash as he tries to help ninth-placed Athletic pick up their first league win in four matches.

"I'm only thinking about winning. Afterwards, nobody should have any doubt that I wish the best for Real Zaragoza for all they have given me, but during the match I will be giving everything to win. We need the three points," Herrera said in El Periodico de Aragon.

Athletic again look set to be without star striker Fernando Llorente due to a persistent knee injury but coach Marcelo Bielsa could welcome back a host of first-teamers having rung the changes for Wednesday's Europa League trip to Paris St Germain.

Athletic lost that match 4-2 but had already secured themselves a spot in the last 32 of the competition.

Zaragoza boss Aguirre is facing a defensive crisis for the trip to San Mames with David Mateos this week being ruled out until next year through injury, while first choice centre-back Paulo Da Silva remains out, along with Fernando Meira.

The injury problems do not end there as midfielder Ruben Micael has also been sidelined until mid-January after damaging his knee in the 1-0 home defeat to Mallorca last weekend.

Aguirre said ahead of the match: "We must look for the consistency that we need. We have to improve a lot with respect to the last match against Mallorca. A victory which would allow us to remain close to the group of eight teams above us."