11:42 | Lima, Dec. 28 (ANDINA).
Peru's national soccer team will take on Basque Country in an international friendly at San Mames stadium in Bilbao on Saturday.
Interim coach Roberto Mosquera did not call up his top foreign-based players and will bet on a team dominated by local talent.
Jefferson Farfan (Schalke 04), Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich) and Paolo Guerrero (Corinthians) will miss the match as they are on vacation for the Christmas holiday break.
"We have a responsibility to properly prepare the team in order to have a good match in Bilbao," Mosquera said before taking the flight to Spain.
"I will only speak for those that are here because they had the tremendous courage to assume the responsibility to play this game," said the coach of Peruvian club Juan Aurich.
Mosquera took over the team pending the appointment of a new coach following the resignation of Uruguayan Sergio Markarian.
The Basque team, meanwhile, will be without two of their top men such as Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid) and Javi Martinez (Bayern Munich), but will present a lineup consisting of players in the Spanish Primera Division.
The coaching duo formed by Jose Maria Routledge and Miguel Etxarri called-up twelve players from Athletic Bilbao (4th in the league), six from Real Sociedad (5th) two from Osasuna (18th), one from Celta de Vigo (15th) and Real Madrid midfielder (3rd) Asier Illarramendi.
Peru, who traveled to Spain on Thursday, will therefore face a tough test against a team which includes such big names as Xabi Prieto, midfielder Beñat Etxebarria, striker Aritz Aduriz, defender Inigo Martinez or pivot Asier Illarramendi.
Despite being a friendly, Basque police have announced that they will put in place "stringent" controls in the vicinity of the San Mames stadium to avoid clashes like what happened last year when the match played at Anoeta ended in several agents injured and 16 people charged by prosecutors.
"Entrance controls are rigorous. Those with flares or smoke bombs or those with symptoms of having consumed alcohol or drugs will not be allowed to enter," said the police in a statement.
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Published: 12/28/2013