Why Nico and Inaki Williams Aren't Playing for Athletic Bilbao vs. Man Utd | OneFootball

When Athletic Bilbao take on Manchester United in the second leg of the Europa League semifinals, they will be without Nico and Iñaki Williams.

Athletic Bilbao have a mountain to climb against Manchester United if they want to punch their tickets to the Europa League final. Ernesto Valverde's men suffered a 3–0 defeat at home in the first leg of the tie, much in part due to Daniel Vivian's red card in the 35th minute. Casmeiro's winner and Bruno Fernandes's brace gave the Red Devils all the momentum heading into the second leg at Old Trafford.

The Spanish outfit will have to play a near-perfect game if they want to overcome the three-goal deficit against a Manchester United side that remains unbeaten in the Europa League. Plus, Ruben Amorim's men have conceded three or more goals just twice in their 13 European matches this season.

The task will be even harder for Athletic Bilbao with the Williams' brothers sidelined.

Why Nico and Inaki Williams Aren't Playing for Athletic Bilbao vs. Man Utd

Nico and Iñaki Williams are both nursing injuries and therefore are unavailable to play against Manchester United. The two forwards remain in Spain while the rest of the team made the trip to Manchester.

Nico is dealing with a groin injury that kept him from playing in Sunday's Basque derby against Real Sociedad. Iñaki started the La Liga fixture, but could only play 62 minutes before Valverde was forced to replace him. The club then confirmed the 30-year-old sustained a hamstring injury and will not feature in the second leg of the Europa League semifinals.

Losing both brothers is a huge blow for Valverde's squad. Athletic Bilbao are also missing Vivian, their best defender, due to suspension and Oihan Sancet, their leading goalscorer, due to a foot injury. Now, the club will also have to get by without arguably their most talented player in Nico, and their leader in assists, Iñaki.

The good news for Athletic Bilbao is that even if they get knocked out of the Europa League, they still are in a great position to qualify for the Champions League. Los Leones are poised to finish in the top five of La Liga, guaranteeing themselves a spot in Europe's top club competition next season.