Luis de la Fuente has already finalized his 26-man squad for Spain’s World Cup campaign and submitted a 55-player preliminary list to FIFA in case any regulars suffer injuries in the coming weeks. However, the 64-year-old coach has additional names in mind for the upcoming friendly against Iraq.
The match will take place in La Coruña on June 4 at 6 PM, just five days before Spain’s last pre-tournament test against Peru. For this clash with Iraq, De la Fuente has decided to call up several players who will serve as support during that period. “The official list will be 26, but there will be a group of additional players. Since there’s a Champions League final on May 30, these players will come to help us complete the squad needed for the June 4 match. After the game, they’ll leave. None of them will likely be on the 55-man list,” he revealed at the ‘Los Desayunos Deportivos de Europa Press’ event.
During the same event, the Spanish coach declined to disclose the preliminary list sent to FIFA but confirmed that six of the 55 are goalkeepers. In addition to the four from the last call-up—Unai Simón, Raya, Remiro, and Joan García—Robert Sánchez and Leo Román are also included.
Regarding players with physical issues, such as Lamine Yamal, Mikel Merino, or Nico Williams, De la Fuente remains tense but confident. “I am concerned about the players’ health. This is a critical phase because any injury now, even a minor one, is difficult to recover from. Nico’s injury is grade one and should be recoverable in three to four weeks if there are no setbacks. Let’s hope there are no more injuries. The called-up players should be fit for the World Cup, if not for the first match, then for the second or later. There won’t be a problem.”
Mentions: Football, World Cup, Spain, Luis de la Fuente
