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Spain's Yeremy Pino Faces World Cup Exit After Suspected Collarbone Break

BBC Sport Football •
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Spain winger Yeremy Pino played through the final moments of Saturday's 1-0 victory over Uruguay with a suspected broken collarbone, potentially ending his World Cup campaign. The Crystal Palace player fell awkwardly on his left shoulder during a challenge in the closing stages, appearing to be in considerable pain as Spain had already exhausted their permitted substitutions.

Head coach Luis de la Fuente brought Pino on in the 66th minute and admitted the initial diagnosis was concerning. 'It looks like Yeremy may have broken his collarbone,' De la Fuente said, with tests scheduled for Sunday to determine the extent of the injury. The coach praised Pino's effort as heroic, noting the player suffered significantly while finishing the match.

A fractured collarbone would almost certainly rule Pino out for the remainder of the tournament, dealing Spain a significant blow as they prepare for the knockout stages. Spain topped Group H with seven points and will face either Austria or Algeria in the last-32 round in Los Angeles next Thursday. The injury leaves Spain potentially short-handed in attack during the crucial final phase of the competition.

Pino's absence creates immediate selection headaches for De la Fuente, who may need to adjust his attacking options for the round of 32. Spain's medical team faces a race against time to assess whether their winger can feature again this summer.