Spain’s Bonmati hospitalised with meningitis ahead of Euro 2025

Spain’s Ballon d’Or holder, Aitana Bonmati, is hospitalised with meningitis 2 weeks earlier the Euro 2025 championships.

Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati, the two-time Ballon d’Or holder, has been hospitalised with viral meningitis little than a week earlier the Women’s European shot title begins.

Spain manager Montse Tome said precocious connected Friday that her prima subordinate had felt sick and was taken to a infirmary successful Madrid wherever she tested affirmative for meningitis.

Spain’s squad is acceptable to question to Switzerland connected Sunday for the tournament. Its archetypal crippled is against Portugal connected Thursday successful Bern. It volition besides look Belgium and Italy successful Group B astatine Euro 2025.

“Aitana is simply a precise important subordinate for america and we volition hold for her,” Tome said aft Bonmati missed Friday’s affable against Japan successful the Spanish superior erstwhile Spain bushed the visitors 3-1.

Tome said that Bonmati started feeling atrocious with a fever during signifier aboriginal connected Friday.

“She has authorised maine to accidental that she has viral meningitis,” Tome said. “The connection is scary, but the doc tells maine that she is nether control. She volition stay successful the infirmary and we don’t cognize for however long.”

Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí celebrates with the trophy aft winning the World Cup successful 2023 [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]

The 27-year-old Bonmati has won the apical idiosyncratic grant for women for the past 2 years. The Barcelona subordinate was cardinal successful Spain winning the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Bonmati’s vision, dribbling skills, passing and goals person besides been captious to Barcelona reaching 5 consecutive Champions League finals, with the Catalan nine winning 3 titles.

Her lack would enactment much unit connected Alexia Putellas, herself a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, and chap Barcelona midfielder Patricia Guijarro, to pb Spain. Against Japan, Tome started 18-year-old Vicky Lopez successful spot of Bonmati.

Three years ago, Putellas tore her ACL 3 days earlier starting the 2022 European Championship. Spain was eliminated successful the quarterfinals without its then-top player.

Spain should inactive beryllium favoured successful its opener against Portugal, a squad it bushed doubly successful April – including a 7-1 location triumph – successful the Nations League.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies