Athletic Bilbao star player now a major doubt for Newcastle United Champions League game | OneFootball

Athletic Bilbao have not had the best of preparations for their Champions League match against Newcastle United.

Last weekend they lost 1-0 at home to Getafe.

Then the big Basque derby on Saturday saw Athletic Bilbao lose 3-2 to arch rivals Real Sociedad.

Twice coming from behind, Athletic Bilbao conceded the final goal in added time. Real Sociedad rising to three points clear of the relegation zone, two points below their derby rivals who are 11th in La Liga.

Athletic Bilbao could now be facing Newcastle United without star player Nico Williams.

The Spain international has an ongoing significant injury issue and could require surgery. Nico Williams is suffering from Pubalgia (‘A soft-tissue injury in the groin or lower abdomen caused by torn muscles or tendons, often from repetitive twisting or forceful movements in sports like football’).

Nico Williams played the full game when Athletic Bilbao lost at home to Getafe. However, even though it was their massive Basque derby clash on Saturday, their star player wasn’t in any condition to start.

Ernesto Valverde (pictured above) admitted this after Saturday’s defeat and clearly it was a desperate throw of the dice to introduce his star player in the derby match in the second half with Athletic Bilbao 2-1 down.

Those minutes in the Basque derby against Real Sociedad could be the final straw, in terms of ruling Nico Williams out of the Newcastle United match.

Marca report that having missed the last Spain international squad due to these ongoing injury issues, Nico Williams is also set to miss the November internationals.

Athletic Bilbao have had to manage the players minutes and he has only started five games this season, whilst he struggles to take part in group training and does a lot of training on his own. It sounds like push may have come to shove and Nico Williams needing surgery to sort the issue properly.

The issue is a debilitating one and as somebody whose game is based on speed, dribbling, twisting and turning, it has already impacted heavily on the player’s performances, only one goal in La Liga so far this season.

Remember, Nico Williams was a massive reason why Spain won the 2024 European Championships, great form overall and man of the match and scoring the opening goal, as Spain defeated England in the final.