Updates on the wellbeing of two key members of the first-team setup at Real Sociedad have come to the fore this evening.
As much, of course, comes with Imanol’s troops fresh off a night to forget on Tuesday.
After battling their way to a goalless stalemate at Son Moix in the first leg, Sociedad played host to Mallorca 24 hours ago, in the return leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final tie between the clubs.
La Real headed into proceedings boasting understandable favourite status, and fresh off a La Liga victory over Mallorca just two weeks ago.
When all was said and done at Anoeta, it therefore came as a monumental blow for the evening’s hosts when it was Javier Aguirre’s underdogs who emerged triumphant, a penalty shootout ultimately proving decisive after the two sides could not be separated across a further 120 minutes.
It therefore only added insult to injury (or rather injury to insult) when, late in proceedings, two of Sociedad’s star performers appeared to pick up fitness problems.
Both came just shy of the halfway mark in extra time, when Kubo and Mikel Merino indicated that they could carry on no longer.
The pair, in turn, were quickly hauled off, playing no part in the ensuing shootout.
Thankfully for Imanol and his staff, however, it has since been confirmed that neither Kubo nor Merino have picked up any form of injury.
As per a report from Mundo Deportivo, the former was suffering with little more than a ‘knock’, whilst midfielder Merino came down with a bout of cramp.
Both, as a result, should be ready to feature from the off, when Sociedad make the trip to Andalusia for a La Liga meeting with Sevilla on Saturday afternoon.
Conor Laird | GSFN
