BarcelonaThe big news on Spain’s list of players for the World Cup is Ansu Fati. After thinking about it until the last moment, Luis Enrique Martínez has finally trusted the sense of smell of the Barça attacker, who returns to a call of the roja through the big door He will compete in nothing less than a world championship after more than two years without being a full international and he will leave at home, with a nose, strikers who also guarantee goals and who are possibly more fit than him, such as Borja Iglesias (Betis) or Iago Aspas (Celta de Vigo).
The Spanish coach has never hidden the doubts he has about Ansu’s performance, diminished by an ordeal with knee injuries that has affected him physically and mentally. “Hopefully we’ll see his best again, but for now I don’t see him on the list. The fact that he’s not a starter in his team tells me something,” he justified after leaving him out of the finals call-up of September Almost two months later, the Hispanoguinean has not played many more starting minutes, but Lucho has decided to take him to Qatar even if he continues to see him below his level: “The illusion I have is to return to what it was. And I think it can be a big boost to do it in an event like the World Cup.” So what has changed Luis Enrique’s mind? Spoiler: having a direct line with the Barça technical team has helped.
Methodical and interventionist, the Asturian coach has closely followed the evolution of the more than 50 players selectable for the world championship. But with Ansu he has had a special dedication, as evidenced by the fact that he summoned him with the absolute at the end of last year despite knowing that he would not be allowed to compete. He wanted the young attacker to feel part of his project, but at the same time he had consistency, thanks to the direct line he has with several members of thestaff Blaugrana, that Fati was not ready to compete at 100%. The footballer had refused surgery to fully correct a serious muscle injury, was at greater risk of relapse and therefore his rehabilitation had to be more conservative despite being medically discharged. A trend that has been maintained during this first part of the year, in which Ansu has been a substitute in most of the games, something that has come to annoy him on occasion.
Despite this anger, Xavi, Luis Enrique and their teams have dealt with the evolutions of the young attacker in a united way. To the point that, two weeks ago, a recommendation was sent from Sant Joan Despí in the direction of Las Rozas that has ended up benefiting Ansu in the definitive choice of striker that Spain will take to the World Cup. A message was sent from Barça about the impact that the Hispano-Guinean could have in certain match scenarios, providing a specific example: the visit of the Blaugrana team to Anoeta, in which Fati entered the duel as a shocker and he changed the scene with a goal and two assists in just 19 minutes. This previous chart, added to a favorable medical report updated a few days ago and the fact that the list is 26 and not 23 players, has helped Lucho to realize that he could not give up the gunpowder of a player he went to debut with the absolute with just 18 years of age.
The 26 chosen by Luis Enrique to fight for the World Cup in Qatar
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Porters
Unai Simón (Athletic Club), David Raya (Brentford) and Robert Sánchez (West Bromwich Albion). -
Defenses
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), César Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Eric Garcia (Barça), Hugo Guillamón (Valencia), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Pau Torres (Villa-Real), Jordi Alba (Barça) and José Luis Gayà ( Valencia). -
midfielders
Sergio Busquets (Barça), Koke Resurrección (Atletico de Madrid), Marcos Llorente (Atletico de Madrid), Pedri González (Barça), Pablo Páez ‘Gavi’ (Barça), Carlos Soler (PSG) and Rodrigo Hernández ‘Rodri’ (Manchester City). -
in front
Álvaro Morata (Atletico de Madrid), Ferran Torres (Barça), Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Yéremi Pino (Villa-real), Pablo Sarabia (PSG) and Nico Williams (Athletic Club) and Ansu Fati (Boat).
The main absentees from the call-up for Qatar are defenders Iñigo Martínez, Sergio Ramos, Nacho Fernández, Àlex Moreno and Alejandro Balde; midfielders Mikel Merino, Sergio Canales, Brais Méndez, and the aforementioned Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas. Luis Enrique did not want to assess any of these absences. The surprises on the list of available players, beyond Ansu’s, are the Valencia player Hugo Guillamón and the young forward of Vila-real Yéremi Pino. Of the first, the selector values his versatility and of the second his ability to overflow on the right. On the other hand, when asked about the level that Busquets has displayed lately, the Asturian coach was clear: “There is no better pivot in the world than Busi for the game we want to practice. If we have the ball and we we set up in the opponent’s field, it’s the best.” In fact, if it were for Luis Enrique, he would try to convince the one from Badia del Vallès to play “his fifth World Cup”.
Five Catalans, four Valencians and one Mallorcan
Of the 26 called up for the tournament, 10 are originally from the Catalan Countries. There are five Catalans (Busquets, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba, Dani Olmo and David Raya), four Valencians (Pau Torres, Gayà, Carlos Soler and Ferran Torres) and one Mallorcan (Asensio). Regarding the number of Catalans, there is a growth of three to five in relation to the World Cup in Russia (2018), a stagnation compared to that of Brazil (2014) and a decrease from seven to five in contrast to that of South Africa (2010). Of the entire list, only six players already know what it is to play in a world championship (Carvajal, Azpilicueta, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Koke and Asensio). The rest will make their debut in a meeting like this one in Qatar. The generational change in Spanish football is a fact.
