Athletic Club to welcome back defender after doping ban

Athletic Club have received positive news today, with veteran defender Yeray Alvarez now available for selection again this week. Los Leones face a tricky away trip to Getafe this Sunday, where Athletic will try and relaunch a challenge for the European spots.

Alvarez, 31, was handed a ten-month ban for ingesting a banned susbtance on the 2nd of June 2025, ruling him out until the 2nd of April this year. The ban followed on from a positive test on the 1st of May last year, during his side’s Europa League semi-final with Manchester United, as per Marca. Yeray was unable to train with the rest of his teammates or use Athletic Club’s facilities until the 2nd of February, but has had two months to get back into shape.

Yeray Alvarez maintains innocence over banned substance

Having a given a positive test, Alvarez maintains that he ingested Canrenone by accident. The Athletic Club defender explained to the Anti-Doping Committee that he had taken one of his partner’s pills to prevent hair loss, having run out of his own medication to deal with alopecia.

Yeray’s battles with cancer

Alvarez was taking the medication due to his previous battles with cancer. In 2016, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and almost immediately underwent surgery on it, returning three months later in February of 2017. In the summer of the same year though, it was discovered that the cancer had started growing again, and Yeray was forced to undertake chemotherapy in order to win his battle with cancer, leaving him out of action for seven months, returning in 2018. As such, Alvarez was taking the medication to deal with hair loss.

Athletic Club’s struggles in central defence

His presence has been sorely missed this season. With Athletic in the Champions League this year, Aitor Paredes and Dani Vivian have been unable to replicate their form from the previous season, part of the explanation for a dip in performances. Stretched to the limit, at times full-backs Yuri Berchiche or Inigo Lekue have been deployed in central defence as a result.

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