Athletic Bilbao is hopeful that Spain winger Nico Williams will recover from an ankle bruise in time to play against Roma at the start of their Europa League campaign, coach Ernesto Valverde said on Saturday.
Williams injured his left ankle and had to be substituted during a 2-0 victory over Leganes in the Spanish league earlier this week.
Athletic will begin the group stage of the Europa League at Roma next Thursday. Valverde mentioned that Williams might be available for that away match, but he will definitely miss Sunday’s home game against Celta Vigo in La Liga.
“Let’s see if we can have him back against Roma,” Valverde said. “He is a fundamental player for us, I hope he can be with us.”
The 22-year-old Williams is coming off a great season, having helped Athletic win the Copa del Rey and played a key role for Spain in their European Championship victory in July.
