Spain are facing a major injury worry with the two wingers instrumental to their European Championship success two years ago facing a battle to be fit for the World Cup.
Lamine Yamal has missed the last three Barcelona games due to a left hamstring injury sustained in the act of scoring the winning penalty against Celta Vigo on April 22 while, yesterday, Nico Williams also suffered a hamstring problem against Valencia.
Williams, who was named man of the match in the Euro 2024 final victory over England, limped off in obvious distress, mouthing “it can’t be”, after 36 minutes of the game at San Mamés and replaced by his brother Inaki.
An Athletic medical report this afternoon confirmed the nature of the injury but did not put a timeframe next to his absence.
It read: “The player Nico Williams was replaced by his brother in the 36th minute of the match when he suffered a moderate muscle injury in the hamstring muscles of his left leg.”
Williams has suffered from persistent injuries this season
Reports in Spain suggest Williams will miss Athletic’s final three games of the Liga season and his participation in the summer showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico remains touch and go. Spain open their campaign against Cape Verde on June 15 before group games against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
It is a bitter blow for both the 23-year-old and Athletic, who are chasing a place in Europe.
It has been an injury-plagued season for Williams, who signed a 10-year contract with his boyhood club last summer despite huge interest from Barcelona. He has made just 25 appearances in La Liga, scoring six goals and adding three assists.
His elder brother Inaki said in remarks reported by AS: “The really disappointing thing is that it leaves us without him. He is close to the World Cup but the hard thing is that we [Athletic] can’t count on him in the last few games.
“I have talked briefly with him, it is not time to overwhelm him and he will have many things on his mind. He was struggling, he said he had never felt such pain.”
Yamal is expected to be fit for the World Cup as he continues to follow a “conservative treatment plan” put in place by Barca.
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