Gorka Guruzeta ruled out for the season with torn ACL

Gorka Guruzeta is done for the season. Tests carried out on Monday confirmed that the Athletic Club striker suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Saturday, a serious injury that will send him to the operating room in the coming days. The Basque forward faces a recovery period estimated at six to eight months, meaning he will not put on his boots again during the current campaign.

• Gorka Guruzeta has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, confirmed on Monday.
• The striker will have surgery in the coming days and is expected to miss six to eight months.
• He suffered an identical injury to his right knee in 2019 while playing for Bilbao Athletic.
• Iñaki Williams and Maroan are the main options to lead the attack in his absence.
• The club is unlikely to enter the winter transfer market despite the severity of the injury.

A knee injury Guruzeta knows all too well

The torn ACL is not new territory for the striker from San Sebastián. Back in 2019, while playing for Bilbao Athletic after already making his first-team debut, he suffered the exact same injury but to his right knee. That setback forced him through a lengthy recovery process from which he came out stronger, eventually becoming one of Athletic's key attacking references years later.

Surgery to repair the damaged ligament will take place in the coming days at a medical facility covered by IMQ insurance. From there, a rehabilitation process will begin that will last more than six months even in the best-case scenario.

Athletic's attack left in trouble

Guruzeta's absence hits the team's forward line hard at a particularly delicate moment in the season. The Copa del Rey has not yet started and only seven full La Liga matchdays have been completed, meaning Athletic loses a key piece for the entire campaign. The squad now has to restructure its attack just when it was finding its competitive rhythm.

The striker, who turned 30 last September and is under contract with the club until 2028, has a special ability to link up with teammates and can operate as a central reference or slightly behind the front line. His best form came under Ernesto Valverde, and at the start of this campaign he was regaining sharpness after a muscle injury.

Iñaki Williams and Maroan lead the striking alternatives

With Guruzeta out of action, the most natural options to fill the centre-forward role in the first team are Iñaki Williams and Maroan. Both players are the alternatives the coach is considering for the attacking spearhead, although the German manager could also redeploy other members of the squad if the situation demands it.

Another route lies with the reserve team. Some of the second-team players have already trained under the manager's orders, so they could see minutes if needed. The club trusts its own structure and its youth academy to cover such a significant absence.

Will Athletic sign a striker in January?

Despite the severity of the injury and Guruzeta's importance to the attacking setup, all signs point to the board not considering a move in the winter transfer market. The club remains faithful to its recruitment policy and views a January signing as highly unlikely, even with the squad so depleted up front.

Guruzeta has made 186 official appearances for Athletic's first team and scored 48 goals. This season he had featured in five matches without finding the net, while last campaign he recorded 17 goals in 48 games, his best return since arriving at San Mamés.

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