MADRID, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Athletic Bilbao announced on Monday that Spain international winger Nico Williams has begun treatment with a specialist to resolve the pubalgia that has affected his performances for almost a year.

In a statement, the club said: "the footballer has started a treatment with an external specialist to treat his pubalgia, with specific work, which depending on how he evolves, will see him out of the coming squads."

The news comes a day after Nico was left out of the squad for Athletic Bilbao's 2-1 win away to Oviedo, after which coach Ernesto Valverde responded to a question over the fitness of the younger of the Williams brothers, saying "he has problems and he isn't 100 percent fit. We can't carry on like this."

Nico began to struggle with his pelvic problems towards the end of the 2024-25 season and missed several Europa League and La Liga games.

The club hoped he would overcome his problems over the summer after again rejected a move to FC Barcelona, but the 23-year-old has struggled for full fitness ever since suffering a groin injury while playing for Spain in September.

Although he has made 26 appearances in all competitions this season, many of those have been as a substitute and frustratingly, he played in just three of his side's eight Champions League clashes.

The club's Director of Football, Mikel Gonzalez recently hinted Nico would have to stop in a press conference on which he explained "we are working on different options and if he doesn't recover, we will look at stopping for some weeks to work on a treatment to strengthen his abdomen."

Williams has played 30 times for Spain and under normal circumstances would be considered a certainty for Luis de la Fuente's World Cup squad, but his ongoing fitness issues means that place is currently uncertain. ■