Spain winger Yeremy Pino, who plays his club football for Crystal Palace, is facing a significant setback with a suspected broken collarbone that could prematurely end his World Cup involvement. The injury occurred during the closing moments of Spain's 1-0 triumph over Uruguay on Saturday, a match in which Pino was introduced as a second-half substitute.
Pino, who came on in the 66th minute, fell awkwardly on his left shoulder following a challenge. Despite appearing to be in considerable discomfort, the 21-year-old was forced to remain on the pitch until the final whistle. This was due to Spain having already made all their permitted substitutions, leaving head coach Luis de la Fuente with no option to replace the injured player.
Speaking after the match, de la Fuente expressed serious concerns over Pino's condition. He stated, "It looks like Yeremy may have broken his collarbone. Tomorrow they are going to do some tests and we will see how far the injury is." The coach lauded Pino's resilience, adding, "The man is suffering a lot and the effort he has made is tremendous, possibly with a broken collarbone to hold on until the end of the match... It has been heroic and I am very grateful, like all his team-mates."
A confirmed fractured collarbone would almost certainly sideline Pino for the rest of the tournament. The World Cup is now entering its critical knockout stages, where Spain, having topped Group H with seven points, are scheduled to play their last-32 tie next Thursday in Los Angeles. Their opponent will be either Austria or Algeria.
Pino's potential absence would be a blow to Spain's attacking options as they navigate the more demanding phases of the competition. His pace and creativity from the wing have been valued assets, and his loss would require de la Fuente to re-evaluate his squad selections for the upcoming crucial matches.