A lengthy run has finally come to an end
Iñaki Williams is set to miss his first league game for Athletic Bilbao in over six years after he suffered an ankle ligament injury.
Williams has set a remarkable run of playing in 236 consecutive LaLiga games and has been one of the key figures at the club in that period.
The Ghana international suffered the injury during Bilbao’s 4-0 win against Cadiz on Monday. After opening the scoring, the 28-year-old had to be substituted in the 54th minute due to an ankle problem.
A statement from the Basque club confirmed the news, saying: “Athletic Club striker Inaki Williams has sprained a ligament in his right ankle. He will undergo further evaluations and his progress will be monitored over the coming days.”
Athletic are at home to Espanyol and unless a major miracle happens, it will be unlikely that Williams will take part in the fixture as the full extent of his injury becomes clearer in the coming days.
The last time Williams missed a fixture was April 10, 2016 and he has since overtaken Juanan Larranaga for the number of consecutive games played in the Spanish top-flight, which was previously 202 games.
Additionally, the injury has come with less than three months to go until the start of the World Cup, where Williams is hoping for success with Ghana.
Despite previously playing for the Spanish and the Basque national teams, Williams opted to declare for Ghana, the place where both of his parents were born.
He is expected to return in time for the showpiece event and help the Black Stars get out of Group H, which contains: Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
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