Maite Zubieta’s return to Lezama with Atlético remains highly uncertain

Maite Zubieta’s return to Lezama is highly uncertain. The former Athletic player, now an Atlético midfielder, has sustained a low-grade muscle injury to the rectus femoris in her right thigh and was already absent against Logroño last Saturday.

Athletic will host Atlético at Lezama on Sunday at 12 p.m. in a fixture shaped by intersecting paths. Víctor Martín, now coach of the Lionesses, managed Atlético for a season and a half, with that spell ending midway through the previous campaign. A reunion between Zubieta and the former teammates she left in June appears less likely, however, because of her injury.

The Busturia-born player had made an immediate impact in Madrid, starting the first three Liga F matchdays. She had been important for Atlético before the muscle issue. After four matchdays, David Aznar’s side have already lost away to Real Madrid (3-2) and Barcelona (4-2), before offsetting those two defeats with one-goal victories over Alavés (1-0) and Logroño (1-0).

Zubieta’s Athletic spell ended in June after five seasons and 103 official appearances for the Lionesses. Having joined Lezama as a youth player, she worked her way through every level to reach the first team. At the end of her contract, she left on a free transfer after declining Ibaigane’s renewal offer.

Nerea Nevado was in a similar position. The Santurtzi player moved to Milan, but an injury has also hampered her opening weeks. Zubieta’s and Nevado’s departures came amid a degree of controversy. Athletic had automatically extended both players’ contracts by one year in 2025 through a clause based on playing time. They met that condition before deciding to continue their careers away from Bilbao.

Both players were left out of the squad for the final match of the previous Liga F season, at Lezama against Alhama, a game with no league-table stakes for the Lionesses and one marked by farewells. “They are club decisions,” said Javi Lerga, then the Basque side’s coach.

Athletic will enter the fixture with 7 points. Víctor Martín’s tenure began with two wins, over Badalona and Logroño, before only one draw from the last two matchdays: a point rescued in stoppage time against Espanyol at Lezama. Last week, the Lionesses suffered their first defeat in the derby against Eibar.

On another front, Agote has taken Spain into the final in Poland. David Aznar’s team beat Italy 2-0 yesterday and will play in Sunday’s final. Agote was involved in both goals without scoring: her cross, deflected by Belli, turned into the opening goal, before she set up Pau Comendador. Alongside Gurtubay, she will attempt to win the tournament with Spain.