Valverde Wary of Elche Threat as Nico Williams Absence Adds to Athletic's Injury Woes

Ernesto Valverde has warned that Friday’s home clash with Elche is going to be anything but straightforward, while also confirming that Nico Williams has stepped back from action because he felt he personally needed to stop — another setback in what’s been a stop-start season for the winger.

Don’t Sleep on Elche

Valverde was at pains to stress that Elche shouldn’t be underestimated, despite the visitors sitting in the lower half of the table. He pointed out that results haven’t been kind to Eder Sarabia’s side lately — games slipping away late on — but insisted the football itself has been decent.

• Elche play with conviction and a clear identity, he said
• They always create chances and always go at teams with a defined plan
• Sarabia’s system is bold and genuinely difficult to play against
• Valverde admitted he’s got a pretty rotten personal record against Elche at San Mamés — never won one there

That last point is the sort of stat that niggles at a manager. You’d imagine it’s been mentioned in the Athletic dressing room already.

European Ambitions on the Line

Athletic come into this one looking to make it three consecutive La Liga wins and keep themselves in the mix for European football. Valverde was clear-eyed about the stakes:

• Every point in the second half of the season is decisive — no room for dropped games
• The table is incredibly tight, and a single win can shift your position significantly
• He’s not looking beyond Friday’s match — tunnel vision very much the order of the day

It’s that time of the season where the margins are razor thin and a slip at home to a side like Elche could genuinely hurt their European hopes.

Nico Williams: Taking Time Away

The big talking point from the presser was Nico Williams, who has stepped back from first-team action. Valverde was fairly brief but candid about it, saying that Nico “felt it was a necessity for him to stop” — framing it as a personal decision the player arrived at himself rather than a purely physical injury.

It’s another frustrating chapter in what’s been a disrupted campaign for one of Spain’s most exciting players. Valverde called it another setback in an already complicated season, which tells you plenty about the mood around the situation.

Fitness Updates

• Yeray: Looking better, though the packed fixture list means training sessions haven’t been as long as the staff would like. The aim is for him to get some match sharpness back from this week onwards
• Jauregizar: Valverde was coy on specifics — citing the player’s right to medical privacy — but suggested the news around his situation was broadly positive

The Bottom Line

This is a game Athletic need to win if they’re serious about Europe, but Valverde clearly isn’t taking Elche lightly. Sarabia’s lot are organised, combative, and have a habit of making life difficult. Add in the Nico situation and a couple of fitness concerns, and Friday night at San Mamés is shaping up to be a proper test.