Injury-hit Spain face winger dilemma before knockout stages

Spain arrive at the tournament already carrying doubts over Williams and Yamal, who sustained hamstring injuries in April

Spain's Lamine Yamal in action with Uruguay's Juan Manuel Sanabria. REUTERS

Spain may have left Guadalajara with a 1-0 win over Uruguay and top spot in World Cup Group H, but their night was marred by injuries to Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino that could leave the European champions scrambling for answers on the wings.

Williams was forced off with a groin problem, while Crystal Palace winger Pino needed treatment late in the second half after hurting his left shoulder, although he managed to finish the match.

"(Williams had) a slight discomfort. It might be a strain, or maybe just fatigue," coach Luis de la Fuente told reporters after the match.

"The worst part is the tremendous pain we feel over what's happening with Yeremy -- he might miss the (rest of the) World Cup," he added, saying Pino had "probably broken his collarbone".

"What he did was heroic. He's in a lot of pain. He'll undergo medical tests on Saturday."

Spain arrived at the tournament already carrying doubts over Williams and Lamine Yamal, who sustained hamstring injuries in April. While Yamal has recovered steadily, Victor Munoz, who recently signed for Liverpool from Osasuna, is still waiting to make his tournament debut due to a leg muscle injury, leaving De la Fuente short of natural options out wide.

If Williams, Pino and Munoz are unavailable, he could return Gavi to the left wing, as he did in Spain's goalless draw with Cape Verde, although that experiment offered little fluency.

Another possibility is shifting Mikel Oyarzabal to the left, with Ferran Torres or Borja Iglesias starting as centre forward and Yamal on the right wing.