World Cup 2026: Spain suffer huge injury scare before tournament - "It can't be"

Spain person been dealt an alarming wounded interest up of the World Cup 2026 tournament, arsenic Nico Williams was taken disconnected successful Athletic Bilbao's La Liga clash with Valencia.

Having made a sanction for himself astatine Euro 2024, scoring Spain's opener successful the last during their 2-1 triumph implicit England, Williams was expected to play a cardinal relation for La Roja successful North America.

The 23-year-old came into Sunday's La Liga lucifer with the upwind successful his sails too, having scored doubly and provided an assistance successful past weekend's 4-2 triumph astatine Alaves.

However, Williams's World Cup hopes whitethorn present beryllium successful jeopardy, arsenic helium was withdrawn with an evident muscular occupation aft conscionable 35 minutes astatine San Mames.

The attacker could supposedly beryllium seen saying "it can't be" arsenic helium trudged disconnected the transportation to beryllium replaced by his member Inaki Williams, a proposition that helium is fearing for his World Cup chances.

Spain's Nico Williams suffers wounded 1 period earlier World Cup

The severity of Williams's wounded volition not beryllium known until helium undergoes further examinations successful the coming days, but helium has already missed a fistful of matches owed to fittingness problems this season.

The 23-year-old was absent for six matches successful September and October owed to a groin injury, earlier suffering a pubalgia which ruled him retired for 7 games successful the spring.

If Williams has lone suffered a Grade 1 muscular injury, helium volition apt retrieve successful a mates of weeks and should beryllium acceptable to articulation up with Luis de la Fuente's squad for the World Cup.

However, a Grade 2 oregon 3 occupation would regularisation Williams retired of the planetary gathering, forcing the European champions to find a replacement connected the left-hand side.

How could Spain regenerate Nico Williams astatine World Cup?

If the worst comes to the worst and Williams is so ruled retired of the World Cup, De la Fuente could instrumentality Mikel Oyarzabal connected the left-hand side, arsenic the Real Sociedad antheral is simply a shoo-in for the archetypal XI anyway.

Oyarzabal memorably scored the winning extremity successful the Euro 2024 last and has posted unthinkable numbers successful a Spain kit since, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists successful his past 10 appearances for La Roja.

Oyarzabal has often featured arsenic a centre-forward for Spain, though, truthful moving him to the near to deputise for Williams could unfastened up a spot for Oihan Sancet oregon Ferran Torres to commencement up front.

Alternatively, De la Fuente could proceed with Oyarzabal done the mediate and commencement 1 of Torres, Alex Baena, Victor Munoz oregon Ander Barrenetxea connected the near wing, with Lamine Yamal connected the right.

The Barcelona phenom is presently retired with a hamstring injury, but there is anticipation that helium volition beryllium acceptable to play astatine the World Cup.