(MENAFN- IANS) Madrid, May 7 (IANS) Athletic Bilbao will be without top-scorer Gorka Guruzeta for the rest of the season after confirming that he has had an operation for acute appendicitis.

The striker, who has scored 14 goals in La Liga and two more in the club's triumphant Copa del Rey campaign, was operated on in a clinic in Bilbao on Monday and with just four games and less than three weeks left this season, there is not enough time for him to recover before the end of the campaign.

Guruzeta was left out of Athletic's side, which won away to Getafe last Friday. Coach Ernesto Valverde informed us that he needed a rest, and Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer took turns leading the attack, reports Xinhua.

Two goals from Williams saw Athletic to a 2-0 win that keeps them fifth in La Liga, four points behind fourth-place Atletico Madrid, but with a seven-point advantage over sixth-place Real Sociedad.

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