Inaki Williams Undergoes Surgery to Remove Glass From Foot, Set to Miss World Cup Qualifiers

• Inaki Williams is out for the rest of the season with an injury
• The Ghana forward has undergone surgery in Bilbao this week
• The Athletic star will miss the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June

Ghana forward, Inaki Williams, has undergone surgery to remove a piece of glass from his foot and will miss the final game of the season in La Liga.

The Athletic Bilbao star went under the knife on Tuesday, May 21, to correct the defect after almost two years of playing with the item in his left foot.

Head coach Ernesto Valverde confirmed the absence of the striker for the final game of the season against Rayo Vellacano.

Williams is expected to also miss Ghana's World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic next month.

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"It is a story that he has given me permission to tell it because it deserves to be told. Iñaki Williams has broken a record for consecutive games played, he has won a Cup... and he had a two-centimeter glass stuck in the floor of the foot. It's amazing, but that's how it is," said Valverde in the pre-match presser.

"According to the doctor, the glass was getting close to a bone, a tendon... the truth is that the doctor and I started laughing because we didn't believe it. It was a month ago and they had to extract it," he added.

Williams has been in red-hot form for Athletic Bilbao this season, scoring 12 goals and delivering 3 assists in 34 matches in La Liga, per Transfermarkt.

He also starred as the Rojiblancos won their first Copa del Rey title in 40 years, scoring in the quarter-final and semi-final against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively.

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Ghana coach Otto Addo will be looking for a replacement for the forward ahead of next month's assignment.

Williams named best African player in La Liga

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Athletic Bilbao forward, Inaki Williams shared his deep affection for his African heritage after being crowned the best player from the continent in La Liga this season.

Williams scooped the award after receiving majority votes to beat Moroccan duo Brahim Diaz and Youssef En-Nesyri of Real Madrid and Sevilla respectively.

Despite being born in Spain, the eldest of the Williams brothers opted to represent the country of his parents in 2022, going on to feature for the Black Stars at the World Cup in Qatar.