Badio drives past Jerami Grant and Juancho Hernangómez during the Euroleague playoff match between Valencia Basket and Panathinaikos
/ MA Montesinos
Rafa Jarque
Valencia
Valencia Basket welcomes Baskonia at 7:00 PM, with the unavoidable feeling that much of their focus is already on Wednesday’s deciding Game Five at the Roig Arena against Panathinaikos. That matchup will determine which team earns a spot in the Final Four in Athens.
In the days leading up to this league fixture, there was even talk of filling the squad with reserve players, an idea ultimately dismissed due to legal constraints. As a result, head coach Pedro Martínez must navigate this league obligation against the Copa del Rey champions without being able to rest as many players as he would like.
The player chosen by Pedro Martínez to rest this Sunday is Brancou Badio. The Senegalese guard has been left out of the squad and will not see any minutes. There was a possibility that Martínez would call up at least one of the young players from the U22 team, but ultimately none were included in the matchday roster.
It’s worth noting that the game against Baskonia is crucial for maintaining second place in the Liga Endesa standings.
Adding to the challenges, injuries have not been kind. Xabi López-Arostegui and Josep Puerto are both sidelined as confirmed absentees. López-Arostegui suffered an ankle injury during the third game against Panathinaikos and is almost certainly out for the fifth game barring a miracle recovery.
