Nico Williams is reportedly not starting for Spain because he has been managing a recent injury and is being handled cautiously by Luis de la Fuente. Current reports say he is available, but Spain may be resting him or limiting his minutes rather than risking a full match too soon.

What the reports say

  • He was listed as available, not ruled out altogether.
  • One report says he was on the bench and likely rested after recovering from injury.
  • Earlier coverage also said he and Lamine Yamal had hamstring issues and were expected to have a limited role as they returned to full fitness.

Simple read

So the short answer is: not because he is unavailable, but because Spain is easing him back after injury and the coach is choosing his minutes carefully.

Current context

Recent coverage also had Williams saying he was ready to start, which suggests the final decision is tactical and medical rather than a serious new setback. That usually means he could still feature later in the match, depending on Spain’s plan.

TL;DR: He’s not playing from the start most likely because Spain is managing his recovery and using him cautiously after a recent hamstring problem.