Spain's Pino may miss rest of World Cup with broken collarbone

Spain winger Yeremy Pino may miss the rest of the World Cup after sustaining a suspected broken collarbone during Saturday's 1-0 victory over Uruguay. The injury occurred in the closing stages of the match when Pino fell awkwardly on his left shoulder following a challenge.

Despite appearing to be in considerable pain, the Crystal Palace player remained on the field and completed the match because Spain had already used all of their permitted substitutions. Head coach Luis de la Fuente, who had brought on Pino in the 66th minute, acknowledged the initial diagnosis was concerning.

"It looks like Yeremy may have broken his collarbone," de la Fuente said. "Tomorrow they are going to do some tests and we will see how far the injury is. 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."

Impact on Spain's World Cup campaign

A fractured collarbone would almost certainly rule Pino out for the remainder of the tournament as the knockout stages begin. Spain topped Group H with seven points, setting up a last-32 tie next Thursday in Los Angeles against either Austria or Algeria. Pino's absence would be a significant blow to Spain's attacking options, as the 21-year-old has been a key contributor off the bench.

Player background

Yeremy Pino, who plays his club football for Crystal Palace in the English Premier League, has been an important squad player for Spain during the World Cup. His ability to play on either wing has provided tactical flexibility for de la Fuente. The team will await the results of medical tests to determine the full extent of the injury and whether Pino can play any further part in the tournament.