Nico Williams could make 200th Athletic appearance against Sevilla | OneFootball

Nico Williams is completing his build up at Lezama under Edin Terzic after returning just over a week ago. He has not featured in any friendlies, but could get minutes in Saturday’s Liga opener against Sevilla at 17:00, who began with a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano. According to El Correo, if he plays it would be his 200th appearance for Athletic.

Now pain free after a long bout of pubalgia that dulled his vertical, electric game, the winger is chasing peak sharpness to reignite Athletic.

He debuted on 28 April 2021 aged 18. Since then he has won a World Cup, a European Championship and a Copa del Rey, and renewed until 2035 with a clause above €90 million, the biggest deal in the club’s 128 years, after Barcelona’s interest across two summers.

Williams has played 199 games, split across Liga 157, Copa 23, Europa League 13, Champions League three and Supercopa three. His return is 37 goals, 39 assists and 12,827 minutes, or 214 hours. He is yet to score in the Champions League.

Last season the team suffered injuries, Champions League demands and dips from key men, and Williams never hit stride. The club first detailed his pubalgia on 19 April 2025, opted against surgery and halted him for over a month.

From September 2025 to May 2026 came five medical notes, from a moderate left adductor issue to a moderate left hamstring injury that stopped him finishing the season and left him chasing World Cup fitness, where his role was minimal until the final.

If the problems are behind him, he could be a powerful pillar for Terzic this season.

Source: El Correo

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