Athletic Club are sweating over the fitness of talismanic forward Inaki Williams ahead of the Europa League clash with Rangers.
A stoic Rangers held Athletic Club to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Europa League last-eight clash at Ibrox despite being reduced to ten men only ten minutes into the game.
Barry Ferguson insists Rangers have a chance to go to Spain and become heroes as the Ibrox side looks to emulate that legendary run to Seville in 2022.
But with Athletic Club flying high in La Liga, there’s been an update on the injury to Athletic Club talisman Inaki Williams heading into the match.
Athletic Club ‘confident’ Inaki Williams can play v Rangers
According to Basque outlet El Correo, Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde is ’confident’ Inaki Williams will play a part in the Europa League clash with Rangers.
That’s despite the striker training by himself for the second consecutive day as he desperately tries to recover in time to face Rangers.
The report claims that Athletic Club are ‘hopeful’ Williams will be able to play some role in the game, even if it is only ‘in the final stretch of the match’.
It comes after Inaki Williams failed to finish Athletic Club’s 3-1 La Liga victory over Rayo Vallecano.
In a statement to supporters, the Basque club confirmed that the 30-year-old Ghana international had strained an abductor muscle in the final stages of the game.
The statement reads:
“The player was unable to complete the match against Rayo Vallecano. Inaki Williams had to leave the field before the end of yesterday’s match at San Mamés against Rayo Vallecano after straining the adductor muscles in his left leg. He is still undergoing further evaluation.”
Rangers are waiting on ‘three or four’ players of their own to recover ahead of the clash at the Estadio de San Mames.
But by our count, there could be as many as five key Rangers players who are injury doubts for the trip to the Basque Country.
Inaki Williams Athletic Club blow highlighted by remarkable La Liga record
Inaki Williams is a crucial part of the Athletic Club team and has played a key role with the club ever since breaking through way back in 2014.
The brother of Arsenal-linked winger Nico Williams, the absence of Inaki would come as a real blow to Athletic Club’s chances v Rangers.
Not least because the Ghana hitman is very rarely ever injured.
Making over 450 appearances for Athletic Club across 11 seasons, the forward holds the La Liga record for the most consecutive games played (251).
Started against Atletico Madrid in 2016 and set against Real Madrid in 2023, the record smashed the previous 202 game run held by Real Sociedad’s Juan Antonio Larrañaga by an astonishing 49 matches.
