"Joan's turn will arrive - De la Fuente defends Garcia's exclusion of Joan from Spain's team"
Spain Announces Squad for World Cup Qualifiers Against Bulgaria and Turkiye
Luis de la Fuente, the coach of Spain's national football team, has announced the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkiye. The matches are scheduled to take place on September 4 and 7, respectively.
De la Fuente emphasized that players are selected for the national team based on their talent, regardless of the club they play for. He mentioned that all goalkeepers are monitored, but Garcia, a goalkeeper for Barcelona, is not included in the squad due to undisclosed reasons.
The squad includes Unai Simon, David Raya, and Alex Remiro as goalkeepers, along with Dani Carvajal (defender) and Pedro Porro (defender). In the midfield and defense, Robin Le Normand, Dean Huijsen, Dani Vivian, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Alex Grimaldo, Mikel Merino, and Nico Williams have been selected.
The forwards for the squad are Alvaro Morata, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal. Yeremy Pino and Jesus Rodriguez are additional players selected for the squad.
Notably, Gavi, initially included in the squad, has withdrawn due to a knee injury and will also miss Barcelona's match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. The coach urged Fermin to remain at Barcelona, and there are reports linking Fermin to a move to Chelsea in the final days of the transfer window.
De la Fuente expressed his preference for Spanish players to stay in LaLiga, stating that it makes the league more competitive. He did not feel pressured to include Garcia in the squad, as he is monitoring all goalkeepers for potential future call-ups.
Joan Garcia, who impressed for much of the 2024-25 season, earning him a move to Barcelona in June, made 146 saves in LaLiga last season, the second-most saves in Europe's top five leagues during that time. However, his omission from the squad has raised some eyebrows.
The inclusion of six Barcelona players - Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal - in the Spain squad is a testament to the strong presence of LaLiga players in the national team.
With the World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, Spain will be looking to build on their recent success and secure a spot in the World Cup. The squad, filled with talented players from top LaLiga clubs, seems well-equipped to take on the challenges that lie ahead.
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