Spain fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief—star winger Nico Williams has been given a real shot at making this summer's World Cup squad, despite a fresh injury scare. The 23-year-old Athletic Club star limped off during Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Valencia at San Mames, sparking fears that his season might be over. But following tests on Monday, there's renewed hope that the Basque speedster could still be in Luis de la Fuente's plans.

Williams has been battling a sports hernia for much of the season, which has sidelined him on and off and taken a toll on his form. Just when he seemed to be rediscovering his spark—scoring a brace in a 4-2 win over Alaves—disaster struck again. He pulled up after just 30 minutes against Valencia, visibly frustrated as he left the pitch, muttering "it can't be."

Fortunately, the diagnosis is more encouraging than first feared. According to Diario AS, Williams has a 'moderate' hamstring injury, which is expected to keep him out for about three weeks. That timeline means his club season with Athletic is effectively over—ruling him out of their push for European football—but he should be back in time for Spain's warm-up matches against Iraq and Peru in early June. That leaves plenty of room for him to prove his fitness and earn a spot in the World Cup squad.

Of course, Spain's coaching staff isn't putting all their eggs in one basket. De la Fuente's 55-man longlist features several alternatives for the left-wing role. Osasuna's Victor Munoz, Rayo Vallecano's Jorge de Frutos, and Villarreal's Alberto Moleiro are all in contention. Munoz impressed on his recent Spain debut, scoring a goal, while De Frutos has already been called up twice this season. Moleiro, meanwhile, is no stranger to the national setup, having featured regularly for the under-21s. But for now, all eyes are on Williams—and whether this latest setback can be just a small bump on the road to the World Cup.