Football: Spain coach backs Nico Williams to recover in time for 2026 World Cup
Madrid, May 12
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente on Tuesday expressed confidence that winger Nico Williams would recover in time for the World Cup finals despite suffering a hamstring injury at the weekend. Williams had to be helped off the pitch during the first half of Athletic Club's 1-0 home defeat to Valencia on Sunday, with tests on Monday confirming a moderate injury to his left hamstring.
The injury rules the 23-year-old out for the remainder of Athletic's domestic season, but speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, De la Fuente said Williams should still be fit in time for the World Cup.
"We have been fortunate that Nico's injury is a grade one strain and should be recoverable in three or four weeks if there are no setbacks," De la Fuente said.
Williams, who has scored six goals in 30 appearances for Spain, is expected to be available when Spain opens its World Cup campaign against Cape Verde on June 15, reports Xinhua.
De la Fuente added that even if Williams were unable to feature in the opening game, he should still be available later in the tournament. "If he can't play in the first match, then he will for the second or third," he said.
The coach, who led Spain to the UEFA Euro 2024 title, will announce his preliminary squad on May 22. However, with the deadline for FIFA squad submissions not until June 2, he said he plans to initially call up a larger group of players. "We will bring in more players to help us complete the preparation match on June 4 against Iraq in A Coruna," he explained.
De la Fuente also admitted concern over the possibility of further injuries before the Spanish domestic season concludes on May 24. "I worry about my players' fitness. This period is critical because any minor injury is difficult to recover from before the World Cup," he said. "We hope there won't be any more injuries; we're constantly crossing our fingers."
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played from June 11 to July 19 and will be jointly-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I think Spain is being too optimistic. Hamstring injuries can be tricky—look what happened to our Indian players during the ISL season. Better to be cautious and not rush him back.
It's good that De la Fuente is planning a larger squad for the preparation match. Injuries are part of the game, but having depth is key. India could learn from this approach for our national team planning.
Spain's preparation seems thorough. The match against Iraq on June 4 is a smart warm-up. But I'm concerned about the knockout stages—if Williams isn't 100%, it could hurt Spain's chances. Let's see how it goes.
I hope Nico recovers fully. The World Cup is the biggest stage, and it would be a shame to miss out. Spanish fans must be biting their nails! 🤞
De la Fuente is a good coach, but he should have managed player workload better. Athletic Club is fighting for European spots, and now their star player is out. These last-minute injuries are avoidable with rotation.
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