Spain manager Luis de la Fuente – ‘We have 20-22 players in mind for the World Cup squad’
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has suggested four to six places in his World Cup squad will be up for grabs as things stand, although he admits injuries could influence his decisions. La Roja are ahead of their final friendly before de la Fuente releases his 26-man squad to fly to the United States.
After beating Serbia 3-0 on Friday, Spain will face Egypt at the RCDE Stadium on Tuesday night. De la Fuente confirmed to Marca that he will be returning for that game.
“We will refresh the team but we will put in a squad that will compete because we want to continue winning, those who need to play will play, we want to refresh the team so that they can compete more.”
La Roja have been tipped as favorites for the tournament by many this summer, alongside the likes of France, England and Argentina.
“I love it when people speak well of us. It’s an obvious denial… Just like I’m talking about others. I don’t know if you’ve seen France. Anyone who doubts that they’re favourites… We have to play very well. We need to work in almost the same way to win the World Cup.”
The goalkeeper debate in Spain
One of the questions in his squad that has raised the most attention is the goalkeeper position. Unai Simon looks set to be the number 1, but it was a surprise when de la Fuente called up four goalkeepers for the international break, including Barcelona’s Joan Garcia for the first time. The decision of the player who will play against Egypt has been made.
“We have already made a decision, but we don’t know how the game will go. You will find out who the goalkeeper will start tomorrow; I will not say anything more here, we will see how the game develops. We are playing for the first place in the world rankings. We need to assemble a very competitive team that gives us full confidence. We will see who starts and finishes the goal.”
After moving away from crosstown rivals Espanyol, whose home ground will host the game, Garcia is a non-stop presence at Cornella. De la Fuente was asked if other Pericos might be tempted to scold him.
“Let them leave that temptation at home, come and be happy, these players are in the Spanish national team, if anyone has that temptation, leave it at home.”
Most of the Spanish team decided
De la Fuente also explained that the majority of his team is settled in his mind this summer.
“We have a strong team. A strong foundation. There will be setbacks and injuries. Some of the confirmed starters will be unavailable, but it is true that there are 20 or 22 players that we would like to have.”
“We got it, but I made a percentage… There is a solid foundation and I hope many will be right. I said 22, but I could have said another number.”
Absence of injury
One of the players who was on the chance to return to the national team is Eric Garcia, but he suffered an injury later on which made him unable to be called up.
“He was with me in the youth teams. He is a player that is very popular with the Federation and me. He was in good shape and he suffered a minor injury that probably prevented him from being here. Opportunities will open up for many. I hope that we will have a difficult time entering the team.”
📸 Cyclist Jonas Vingegaard visiting Spotify Camp Nou. [@FCBarcelona] 🇩🇰 pic.twitter.com/8HA46S1jb7
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There are also concerns in Spain that Nico Williams may not be ready for the tournament, after an injury-plagued season. Mikel Merino is also racing against time to return.
“Nico has already joined training, which is a good sign. And Mikel Merino has a long-term injury … We will see how everything develops. I trust him a lot, and he is very determined. He is made of different things, and I think he will recover.”
Williams and Merino have both played key roles for de la Fuente at Euro 2024. La Roja have no interest in replacing either of them, but Alex Baena and Victor Munoz were both tested on the left wing against Serbia. Another natural for Merino is Fabian Ruiz, but the Paris Saint-Germain star is also struggling with injuries at the moment.
