Four players missed out on the Spain squad as Luis de la Fuente finalized his selection for the match against England at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid.
Álvaro Valles, Jacobo Ramón, Jorge de Frutos, and Roberto Fernández were the four footballers left out of the group, El Diario Vasco reported. The squad changes come ahead of the fixture at 20:45 local time (19:45 UTC) broadcast on La 1, marking Spain’s final outing in the UEFA Nations League group stage.
De la Fuente had to make four cuts after Alejandro Grimaldo left the training camp on Saturday due to a viral infection. Spain enters the match having already secured qualification for the quarterfinals of the competition following a year that included winning the World Cup across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The omission of Valles, Ramón, de Frutos, and Roberto made room for the return of four senior players who missed Thursday’s match against the Czech Republic. Aymeric Laporte, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, and Mikel Oyarzabal all rejoined the national team setup in Madrid.
Valles remained out of the matchday squad entirely after missing the trip to Prague as the fourth-choice goalkeeper. Ramón, a newcomer in the previous squad list, also dropped out alongside Rayo Vallecano attacker de Frutos and Espanyol forward Roberto Fernández, both of whom had traveled to the Czech Republic.
Lamine Yamal takes the number 10 shirt, which had been vacant due to Dani Olmo’s injury. The Barcelona winger stayed in Barcelona during the Czech Republic fixture due to physical discomfort.
There is no favorable treatment for anyone, De la Fuente said, addressing criticism surrounding Yamal.
Oyarzabal returns after missing the previous fixture for the birth of his son, Eneko. The Real Sociedad forward, who leads the team in scoring under the current manager, will wear the number 21 shirt.
Laporte and Williams also rejoined the group after recovering from health issues that kept them out of action in Prague. Both Athletic Bilbao players cleared their respective fitness checks in time for the Metropolitano fixture.
England arrived in the Spanish capital led by Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane. The visitors also included brothers Jude and Jobe Bellingham in their matchday setup for the first time.
Organizers expected a full house at the Atlético Madrid venue, with approximately 3,600 traveling English supporters in attendance. The match concludes a calendar year for La Roja that featured the world title triumph and an undefeated run.
Spain’s 23-man roster for the match against England features:
- 1. David Raya
- 2. Marc Pubill
- 3. Marc Roca
- 4. Dean Huijsen
- 5. Pau Cubarsí
- 6. Mikel Merino
- 7. Ferran Torres
- 8. Fabián Ruiz
- 9. Fermín López
- 10. Lamine Yamal
- 11. Yéremy Pino
- 12. Pedro Porro
- 13. Joan García
- 14. Aymeric Laporte
- 15. Álex Baena
- 16. Pablo Barrios
- 17. Nico Williams
- 18. Martín Zubimendi
- 19. Víctor Muñoz
- 20. Pedri
- 21. Mikel Oyarzabal
- 22. Marc Cucurella
- 23. Unai Simón
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