Doctors advised Pep Guardiola this morning that his first choice keeper was suffering with his left knee and he would be better off rested for tonight’s game. The medical staff will keep a close eye on how his injury progresses ahead of the next few games.

B team keeper Oier Olazábal will wear the number 38 jersey tonight.

Ever present

This will be the first game that Víctor Valdés has missed in La Liga this season, having played in all 23 previous games - 2.163 minutes in all, alongside the other ever present player Andrés Iniesta, who has played 2.013 minutes.

Second injury absence in seven years

Valdés has been a regular at the club since he broke into the first team and it’s been more than seven years since he missed a league game through injury. Curiously enough, that too was against Athletic Bilbao, on January 1st 2004, when Albert Jorquera took his place and put in a brilliant debut performance in the 1-1 game.

Absent against Copenhagen

This is the second game Valdes has missed through injury this season, after he suffered a stomach upset ahead of the UCL group game at the Nou Camp against Copenhagen .

Pinto the likely replacement

The most likely substitute for Valdes is José Manuel Pinto, who will get the chance to play in his first league game of the campaign, though if he does play, it’ll be his third match against Bilbao this season, having started in both the Cup ties.