The team received good news on the eve of the decisive match of the 1/8 finals of the World Cup against Portugal. Nico Williams is back … train with a group. That leaves behind the sideline work he’s been following since the last game, and even opens the door to a possible appearance in Dallas.
Following the recovery of Jeremi Pinault and Victor Muñoz, the winger was the only player still on the sidelines of the team’s dynamics. Having started training camp with a muscle injury, he reappeared in the group stage, although he suffered another setback after a hard tackle behind Uruguayan Nico de la Cruz in the final minutes of the match.
Although all indications are that he will not play, coach Luis de la Fuente has not ruled out using him. “The game is what will tell us whether it will give you 10 minutes or 15 minutes or whatever will be most interesting first for the team and then for him. He is eager to take part. Let’s see how he feels and what the game needs,” the coach explained.
De la Fuente reminded that coming out with a favorable score is not the same as going into a match with high demands. “It’s different to be in a downhill or uphill match, or in a more difficult or less difficult match. You can have an idea from the game, but sometimes football is as exciting as the sea. Waves sometimes make us think one thing and then change it. “This is what we will wait for,” he concluded.
If he ends up not getting minutes against Portugal, the aim is for him to be fully fit for a hypothetical quarter-final as long as Spain manages to overcome the draw.