Williams Gets Green Light Despite Groin Grumbles…
In a football universe not too dissimilar from ours, Athletic Bilbao’s star winger Nico Williams has baffled the universe by saying he’s “feeling pretty good” despite his groin complaint. Imagine a superhero who’s allergic to kryptonite but still insists on saving the world. Yes, that’s Nico rushing back to face Manchester United at the San Mames Stadium for their Europa League semi-final. Last week, he was benched against Las Palmas, keeping him fresher than a lettuce in the fridge — coming on only for a heroic 25 minutes!
Given the grand honor of hosting a pre-match press conference, it seems Nico’s cryptic message interpreted as “I’m totally ready to run circles around United” was well received. Humorously, he talked about his groin issue like Clark Kent would discuss a mild headache: “Oh, it’s a mild nuisance, I’ll just continue saving the day, no biggie!” With a sterling record of five goals and two assists so far, he’s like the team’s goal-gifting Santa, turning Thursday nights into festive season matches.
But hold the phone like a red card! Bilbao’s coach, Ernesto Valverde, declared their leading goal hunter, Oihan Sancet, down and out for the count — worse luck than slipping on a banana peel right before the goal line. Sadly, Sancet has a tally of 17 strikes this season. Fear not, Valverde’s got options lined up like backup dancers ready to hit the stage. You bet your cleats, alternatives like Alex Berenguer, Unai Gomez, and the enigmatic Peio Canales are raring to step up like they’re auditioning for Friday Night Fever!
