Williams (thigh) could return to individual training on the grass next week as he continues recovering from a left rectus femoris injury, according to coach Edin Terzic. "With Nico, perhaps you saw it, I was at the stadium when he scored against Croatia. It was a little surprising that he felt some discomfort after the game because he finished the match without any issues. We believe it's just a matter of days with Nico. Hopefully, he can start training on the grass again next week. We hope he won't be out for too long because he was in very good form, regaining his fitness, getting his smile back, scoring goals and making important contributions on the pitch. We hope he can simply have a short period of rest to get back to his best as soon as possible."
Analysis:Williams suffered the injury while representing Spain against Croatia during the international break and has been limited to individual rehabilitation work since returning to Athletic. Manager Terzic's latest comments suggest the winger is making encouraging progress, although he remains unlikely to feature against Rayo Vallecano or Valencia. The postponed Oct. 21 clash against Levante remains a potential target for his return, depending on how he responds to the next stages of his recovery. With Williams sidelined, Alex Berenguer could continue to handle starting duties on the left wing.
