‘Maximum Concern’—Spain’s Hopes of World Cup Glory Handed Major Injury Blows

The World Cup is yet to really get going for the 2010 winners.

Spain’s 1–0 win over Uruguay came at a cost. | Luke Hales/Getty Images

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has admitted winger Yéremy Pino’s World Cup journey may already be over, while reports suggest he may not be the only player in the locker room to have suffered a serious injury.

Pino came on in the 66th minute of Friday’s 1–0 win over Uruguay but was hurt in the dying embers after a nasty fall on his shoulder. The Crystal Palace winger was in considerable pain but played on until the final whistle as Spain had already used all its permitted substitutions.

“It looks like Yeremy may have broken his collarbone,” he said. “Tomorrow they are going to do some tests and we will see how far the injury is.

“The man is suffering a lot and the effort he has made is tremendous, possibly with a broken collarbone to hold on until the end of the match ... It has been heroic and I am very grateful, like all his teammates.”

Should De la Fuente’s worst fears be confirmed, not only would Pino’s World Cup be over, but the young winger could be looking at several months on the sidelines.

Unfortunately for Spain, Pino’s injury is not the only major scare.

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Nico Williams’s World Cup Could Be Over

Nico Williams also tweaked his hamstring. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Ten minutes after Pino entered the game, Athletic Club winger Nico Williams was also introduced from the bench, but his 14 minutes of action also featured a hamstring injury which, according to MARCA, could be much more serious that it first appeared.

Williams was not at full fitness when the tournament began after picking up a hamstring injury in May and has been carefully managed by De la Fuente, who has handed the usual starter just 46 minutes at the World Cup so far. Unfortunately, his tally may not rise any higher.

Further tests are needed but many inside the Spain camp believe Williams’s tournament is also over, leaving La Roja without two key members of the roster.

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How Will Spain Replace Pino, Williams?

Even Lamine Yamal is not believed to be fully healthy. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Injuries to wingers have been a real problem for De la Fuente. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal began the tournament on the bench because of his own hamstring injury, while Víctor Muñoz suffered a muscle problem as he tried to recover from a calf injury he brought to the United States.

Of the five wingers in the Spain roster, only Atlético Madrid’s Álex Baena is believed to be operating at anywhere close to 100%. Yamal still needs managing after making his comeback, while Muñoz is on the cusp of being able to return to the pitch.

“Víctor is making progress and getting closer to recovery, and everyone has that positive sense of anticipation,” De la Fuente said of Liverpool’s newest signing.

Baena and Yamal are likely to continue as starters, but behind them is where the problems lie for De la Fuente. Rotating his squad and keeping players fresh is going to become difficult if a half-fit Muñoz is the only natural alternative to Baena and Yamal, the latter of whom is still not firing on all cylinders either.

Starting striker Mikel Oyarzabal has extensive experience on the wing, as does Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, although both play key roles in central positions in De la Fuente’s system. Making changes to either player’s position could have a major impact on the team’s performances.

Barcelona duo Gavi and Dani Olmo, both attacking midfielders by trade, have also spent time on the wing at club level.

De la Fuente has until July 2 to find a solution before Spain turns out in the round of 32 against the runner-up of Group J, which will be either Austria or Algeria.

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