Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is absent from the Spain squad that began training on Monday in the city of Las Rozas, according to the Spanish Football Federation. The federation explained that the young player is feeling discomfort in his right knee after taking part in his team’s 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid on Sunday in La Liga.
The federation stated that Yamal will join the camp in the coming days as part of preparations for the match against England on Sunday at the Metropolitano Stadium. Newspaper reports indicated that tests did not reveal a serious injury, and that the decision to delay his arrival aims to give him time to complete his rehabilitation programme.
In the same context, Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal is in the final stages of flu, and he too will join the camp in the coming days to be available to the coach for the England match.
Spain top their group ahead of two decisive matches
Spain lead Group 3 of League A in the UEFA Nations League with 12 points from four matches, after winning all four of their opening games. The team plays away to the Czech Republic on Thursday before hosting England on Sunday in Madrid.
On the other side, England are second with 9 points from four matches, three points behind Spain, while Croatia are third with three points and the Czech Republic are bottom without any points. This standings suggests that Sunday’s match could be decisive in determining the group winner, as a Spain win would extend the gap to six points.
In the opponents’ camp, coach Thomas Tuchel has added Newcastle United defender Dan Burn to the England squad to compensate for the absence of Manchester City player Marc Guéhi after a thigh injury sustained in the match against Nottingham Forest last Saturday. Burn is 34 years old and has won 11 caps for his national team.
InfoSport numbers
- 12 points collected by Spain from four matches, a perfect record in the group.
- 3 points is the gap at the top between Spain and England ahead of Sunday’s match.
- 11 international caps is Dan Burn’s tally for England before joining the camp.
The biggest question for Spain fans remains: will Yamal and Oyarzabal be fully fit before Sunday’s summit? The coming days will reveal that, and you can follow the latest from the camp through InfoSport articles.
