Spain face a nervy wait over the availability of two-time Ballon d’Or winnerAitana Bonmatíbefore the Euros after manager Montse Tomé confirmed the midfielder has viral meningitis.
Speaking to the Spanish media after Spain’s 3-1 defeat of Japan in a pre-tournament friendly, Tomé said “we can’t talk about deadlines” for the influential Barcelona player’s return, after Bonmatí posted a photo of her watching the match from a hospital bed with a cannula in her arm.
“The doctors say that it is controlled, talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled,” said Tomé. “Aitana will be admitted and there are no deadlines yet to know for how long [she will be absent for].”
The Spanish Football Federation had said that Bonmatí had been undergoing medical tests after suffering from a fever. According to reports in Spain, the fever failed to subside and so more extensive tests were carried out which confirmed she has viral meningitis, an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis is caused by an infection and is the more common version of the disease, as opposed to bacterial meningitis. According to the NHS, viral meningitis tends to get better on its own within seven to 10 days.
Spain begin their Euro 2025 campaign in six days’ time, when they play Portugal on 3 July. They then play Belgium on 7 July and Italy on 11 July.
Bonmatí wasnamed the winner of the Ballon d’Orfor a second consecutive time in October, receiving almost double the votes of closest rival for the award Caroline Graham Hansen. The technically gifted midfielder was critical to Spain’s Women’s World Cup triumph in 2023 and secured a sixth league title and fifth Supacopa de España this season, but was denied a fourth Champions League title by Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat of Barcelona in this year’s final.
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“Aitana, for us, is a very important player, we will wait for her yes as long as we can,” said Tomé. “The information I have told you is what I have and I am not going to explain more, if I said something more I would be wrong.”