Matchday 20 - Featured Preview: Athletic Bilbao vs Hercules

Athletic Bilbao are a difficult prospect at San Mames, as Racing Santander found out to their cost last weekend. On matchday twenty it is the turn of Hercules, perhaps the worst away team in La Liga, to vist Bilbao on the north coast and they will need a uncommonly good performance on the road if they are to upset Joaquin Caparros' men. With Athletic battling to stay among the European chasers and Hercules battling to avoid a relegation struggle, points are at a premium for both clubs. 

ATHLETIC BILBAO

Player to Watch: Fernando Llorente

Athletic Bilbao are in good form heading into Monday night's clash with Hercules at San Mames. In the last five La Liga games, Joaquin Caparros' side are WWLDW, with only one defeat this year coming at home to Deportivo La Coruna and that was completely against the run of play. Hercules have won just once away from home this season (strangely enough, away to champions Barcelona) so Caparros will expect back to back victories after a 2-1 win over Racing Santander on matchday nineteen. Athletic beat Hercules 0-1 at the Jose Rico Perez in August so they are looking to do the double.

At the beginning of the week, Joaquin Caparros had major concerns about both of his first choice strikers. Fernando Llorente and Gaizka Toquero were carrying knocks from last weekend's games and Llorente's neck injury, which forced him to withdraw from the pitch against Racing Santander, was of particular concern. Mikel San Jose and Aitor Ocio were also doubts in the immediate aftermath of the weekend but, with Fernando Amorebieta sidelined by a pubic injury, it is quite important that those two are fit as Ustaritz and Ekiza are the only other fit centre backs at the club. Jon Aurtenetxe and Ibai Gomez are the other long-term injury absentees so, in lieu of the former, Koikili will start at left back. The midfield is well stocked despite the problems in other areas so, if Caparros did have to cover for the loss of one or both of his strikers, his answer would surely be to play a five man midfield behind a lone striker, a position which Oscar de Marcos could conceivably play, but, hopefully for the Basques, it won't come to that. Inigo Diaz de Cerio is also named on Caparros' 18-man list after ending a loan spell at Cordoba but he, too, is likely to be confined to the bench as Llorente and Toquero have both recovered sufficiently to warrant places in the squad. Xabi Castillo, who hasn't featured much this season as third choice behind Aurtenetxe and Koikili, is left out for tactical reasons.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Gorka Iraizoz; Andoni Iraola, Mikel San Jose, Ustaritz, Koikili; Javier Martinez, Iker Muniain, Carlos Gurpegui, Markel Susaeta; Fernando Llorente, Gaizka Torquero;

HERCULES

Player to Watch: Nelson Valdez

Hercules are 12th in the table at the halfway point in the 2010-11 league campaign and, if they finish in that position, it will represent a thoroughly successful return to the Primera Division this year. The main pifall as far as the club are concerned is their away form. On Monday night they travel again, this time to Athletic Bilbao's San Mames stadium on the north coast and their form guide suggests Esteban Vigo's men are going to struggle. Their away form reads a dire LLDLL in the last five and they have only won once away from home all season, a 0-2 shock triumph over Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Hercules were beaten 0-1 by Athletic at the Jose Rico Perez on matchday one and they will need at least their second best away performance of the season to avoid another defeat.

Royston Drenthe is slowly working his way back into favour with Esteban Vigo. He has not started a game since his acrimonious row with the club over payment at the turn of the year but he did come off the bench last weekend for the second game running. He will be prevented from playing on Monday due to a hard knock he sustained in that game, which has given him some knee trouble. He and Olivier Thomert are not ready but the medical room at the club may be vacated soon as medium-term absentee Tiago Gomes and long-term injury victim Javier Farinos are reportedly very close to receiving the all clear from the club doctors. Tiago is back in the squad this weekend but Farinos will have to work his way back slowly as he hasn't kicked a ball in a competitive match since the beginning of last year. Given Drenthe and Thomert's problems, Sendoa, Tote and Kiko Femenia will probably battle it out for two wide roles in attacking midfield with Nelson Valdez playing behind David Trezeguet, who is still yet to score away from home this season. Abraham Paz has been cleared to play so he is looking to upset the status quo in defence, which currently consists of Pena, Rodriguez, Noe Pamarot and David Cortes.

Possible starting XI: (4-2-3-1) Juan Calatayud; Pena, Noe Pamarot, David Cortes, Abraham Paz; Matias Fritzler, Abel Aguilar; Kiko Femenia, Tote, Nelson Valdez; David Trezeguet;