De la Fuente will show a continuous list without revolution, despite already being in the quarter-finals, with Barça as the protagonist | Relief
Luis de la Fuente will announce this Friday morning, around 11:30, a new call-up for the next two matches of the national team: November 15 in Denmark and November 18 against Switzerland in Tenerife. And, although reaching the quarter-finals of the Nations League is already in hand and, therefore, there are those who think that there will be breaks, rotations and a revolution to see alternatives for the future, none of this will happen. The coach will bet on a continuous roster in which his hard core will again be the protagonist and in which injured mainstays will return. No sanctions, only warnings: Raya, Le Normant, Oyarzabal, Ferran, Olmo and Lamine. And the usual fears continue. The last was Morata, who was hospitalized with a head injury.
The Rioja coach had already lost heavyweights Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Nico Williams in the previous break, as well as Fermin, who competed in the European Cup and also won a gold medal at the Olympics last summer. Now everyone except Ferran is back, so to make room for them, several players of the national team will have to leave the last concentration, where Brian Zaragoza, Brian Gil and Roro Riquelme were called up due to absence. The one who will not yet be and adds to the already known absences of Carvajal, Le Normand and Rodrigo is Unai Simon. Although the goalkeeper has already returned to training with Athletic after surgery on his right wrist, which he underwent after the tournament in Germany, it is still too early for his return.
My biggest concern ahead of the League match this weekend is physical fitness Kubarsi. The Barca centre-back received nine stitches to his head on Wednesday after being kicked in the Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade. While no one wants to force the center back, everything will depend on his development over the next few hours and whether he is available to Hansi Flick in Anoeta. The Federation believes that there are several days to spare until Spain plays Denmark. The RFEF and Barça medical services, as well as technical specialists, are in contact with the footballer himself. The youth team at the moment wants to play no matter what. Because of what the Blaugrana team plays for and because it does not want to lose momentum in the national team, which wants to finish the group stage first in order to play against the second leg at home (presumably in Valencia) in March.
Barça’s pampering in Las Rozas is at its maximum. And also because he was, is and will be an inexhaustible source of international players. Now, in his current state of La Liga leadership, De la Fuente is rubbing his hands over the 15 players who could be called up for Barcelona. Therefore, in addition to his constant trust in Kubarsi, Pedri, Olmo, Ferran and Lamin, This call will be a good thermometer to gauge your opinion of Balde’s impressive formative moment. Inigo Martinez and Casado, as well as the return of Gavi. The first two were already under his command at Absolute, and in October the midfielder was called up for the first time to the U-21 team, a category that seems to be lacking.
WITH Gavi There have been internal debates because there are two schools of thought regarding his case. All RFEF technical specialists agree that they want the midfielder back as soon as possible and that after his call-up to the quarter-finals of these national teams in March, he will again be a key player. However, there are those who welcome him back for the cause, with the added motivation that it will mean for him to take another step forward in his setup, and those who prefer to wait for the next list that looks set to happen.
The first, more optimistic ones, believe that his personality, exactingness and nerves will come in handy. these days, when there may be some relaxation due to the fact that they are already classified and, in addition, because, since Unai Simon, Carvajal, Rodrygo and who knows if Morata are not there, leaders in the dressing room, it is necessary to have a competition of footballers with a strong personality, designed to maintain the spirit of competition. This is a detail that makes a big difference on this stand. Therefore, as before, despite the injuries, Milan striker Carvajal and the new Ballon d’Or winner stayed at the hotel. In the second, more cautious group are those who do not want to take risks and are afraid of relapse. After what happened in Valladolid with his injury, when part of the Catalan press attacked the coach for not resting him, another setback these days with the Spain shirt would be devastating.
Possible movements
With such a panorama, no big surprises are expected. The three goalkeepers are clear: David Raya (Arsenal), Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad) and Robert Sanchez (Chelsea). In defense, Pedro Porro (Tottenham) will repeat, who joined the national team in the last call-up along with Mingueza (Celta) even before Carvajal’s injury became known. Something new may emerge in the center of defense, thanks to the wound that has not yet healed in Kubar’s head. Of the options in the room, Inigo Martinez is the one most loved in Soccer City and the one who actually has a chance to join the group. His performances against Madrid and Bayern, as well as his best player title against Red Star, put him back on the pedestal from which he had fallen. He already made his debut in 2013 for Del Bosque, worked under the guidance of the current coach and made 21 appearances for the national team. Balde is also shining again on the left flank, but there is no compelling reason to exclude recent regulars from this trans-Atlantic team. Of course, he is now ahead of Guy on the list.
The usual ones will return in midfield and attack. The player most in doubt after his recent performances is Casado. Santi Dénia is happy with his performance and was impressed by his performance in October when he was first selected for the U-21 team. Everyone can see that he is now ready to make a breakthrough and score points if at some point Zubimendi, who is the most reliable replacement for Rodrigo, becomes constipated. One thing is clear: the young Barça player, whether for the first or second team, who plays for La Linea (against England) and Albacete (against Denmark), will wear the red jersey again during this international break. Moreover, this value will become increasingly important in the medium term.
In attack, Samu Omorodion (Porto) is a big name appearing in recent concentrations. And even more so in the last hours after the incident in Mora. The coach has already had to justify his absence at several press conferences. His sensational performance in Portugal means he is also being pointed to in capital letters by the national team staff. However, it is not easy to make room for it now. De la Fuente wants to reach at least the final stages of the Nations Championship with his trusted block and does not want to end the presence of players like Joselu, despite his age (34 years old) and the fact that he left Real Madrid for Qatar (Al Garafa).
De la Fuente is not a big fan of changing cards early because it is a special position where they are already well versed in their game against teams that tend to close in on themselves against Spain. He doesn’t even want to bother or stress the permanent staff. And to top it all off, Ayoze has already recovered from his discomfort and has a good chance of success at Villarreal… Moving to this national team is more expensive than ever. Samu will be a full-fledged national team player, and without Mora he has options, but it is not yet clear when. Either this Friday, or already in 2025…