Athletic Bilbao Suffers Multiple Injury Blow ahead of Thursday

Athletic Club’s preparations for their crucial Europa League semi-final second leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford have been disrupted by the absence of key players Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams from recent training sessions.

Sancet, the team’s top scorer this season, is recovering from a moderate muscular injury in his right thigh.

He missed the recent Basque derby against Real Sociedad and is undergoing evaluation to determine his availability for the upcoming match.

Nico Williams, who has been dealing with pubic bone discomfort for several weeks, also missed the derby and is under medical assessment.

Despite these setbacks, head coach Ernesto Valverde remains optimistic about their potential return, stating that Sancet is progressing well and that efforts are ongoing to facilitate Williams’ recovery.

Athletic Club faces a challenging task, needing to overturn a 0-3 deficit from the first leg. The potential return of Sancet and Williams could provide a significant boost to the team’s attacking options but both are set to miss the clash.

The squad is scheduled to train at Old Trafford on Wednesday, ahead of the decisive match on Thursday at 21:00 CET.