Inaki Williams is having an excellent season with Athletic Club, having amassed eight goals and three assists in 18 La Liga appearances. As such, Los Leones currently sit in fifth place, only four points behind Barcelona in the race for the Champions League places.

Athletic kick off their 2024 adventure against struggling Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Thursday. Despite the hosts’ struggles this season, it will be a very tough fixture for Ernesto Valverde’s side, and it has been made even harder as they won’t have the older Williams brother at their disposal.

Athletic have been in dialogue with the Ghanian Football Federation of late in regards to Williams being allowed to join the national squad late ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. However, the Basque club have not got their wish, having confirmed that the 29-year-old will leave on Monday.

Having Williams unavailable is undoubtedly a big blow for Athletic Club, although they will still fancy their chances of a positive result against Sevilla.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Three takeaways as Panthers eliminate Rangers, advance to Stanley Cup Final
Corey Heim dominates at Gateway for fourth Truck Series win of 2024 season
Mets honor Darryl Strawberry in fitting fashion during number retirement ceremony
Phillies ace leaves game after taking 106 mph comebacker to hand
Real Madrid defeats Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to win Champions League
Marvin Lewis opens up about about return to NFL coaching
Celtics HC shares Kristaps Porzingis update ahead of NBA Finals
Jalen Brunson claps back at tiredness narrative after Knicks' playoff exit
Red Sox lose yet another player to injury
Former NFL GM has huge praise for Packers QB Jordan Love
Drake Maye reportedly being treated as Patriots' QB3
Veteran 1B rejects outright assignment, elects free agency
Giannis Antetokounmpo to play for Greece in Olympic qualifier
Padres lose two top pitchers to injured list on same day
Fever announce remarkable attendance milestone in fifth 2024 home game
Senators reportedly undecided on qualifying defenseman
Lamar Jackson's curious offseason decision costing him significant money
Blue Jays two-time All-Star pitcher lands on IL for second time this season
Lakers set to benefit from Pelicans’ NBA Draft decision
One rookie quarterback is showing 'elite downfield accuracy' during OTAs

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.