Luis Enrique has announced the squad for Spain’s upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures. The 24 player team features new players and veterans alike. Spain will be tasked with a tough opening fixture against Germany and then will have to face Ukraine just three days later.
Spain’s squad consists of plenty of players from La Liga while also including a decent-sized contingent from the Premier League. With a large amount of talent available in the player pool, there were also a few surprising notable absences in the squad.
Spain Announce UEFA Nations League Squad
The Team
Goalkeepers: David de Gea (Manchester United), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea), Unai Simón(Athletic Bilbao)
Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Jesús Navas (Sevilla), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Eric Garcia (Manchester City), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Diego Llorente (Real Sociedad). José Gayà (Valencia), Sergio Reguilón (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Fabián Ruiz (Napoli), Thiago (Bayern Munich), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Óscar Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig)
Forwards: Adama Traoré (Wolves), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Rodrigo (Valencia), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ansu Fati (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Manchester City)
Traoré and Fati Get Their Chance for Spain
Two new faces to Spain’s squad are Traoré and Fati. Following a stellar season with Wolves in the Premier Leauge, Traoré will get the opportunity to feature for Spain for the first time in his career. Enrique has a valuable player in Traoré to utilize as a substitute. He should get a chance to feature in at least one of these two fixtures.
For Fati, the Barcelona talent is set to make his Spain debut at just 17. He put together an impressive showing for Barcelona over the course of the 2019/20 season. Fati could very well get his first senior international goal for Spain during these fixtures. Currently, the young forward is by far the top talent Spain have in the under-18 ranks which makes him one of the players to watch out for in September.
Manchester City Duo
After making the move to Manchester City, Torres has found a place in the squad. The 20-year-old winger is a highly regarded up and coming player for Spain. These Nations League fixtures will offer him the chance to make his first appearance for the senior national team. As a result, it will be crucial for him to make a good impression, especially if he hopes to make the squad for the Euro’s next summer.
The second surprise Manchester City player to be named was Garcia. He was a regular part of the starting XI in the latter stage of the season for Pep Guardiola’s side and showed tremendous growth. It remains unclear if he will stay in Manchester or if a return to Spain may be in the cards. Regardless, this opportunity with the national team could signal his arrival as one of Spain’s top defenders.
The New Guys for Spain
All-in-all, this is a very young roster for Luis Enrique. More so in the attacking area, only two of the six forwards named have made more than 10 appearances for the senior team. In the midfield, Thiago and Busquets are the only veteran players.
September’s fixtures are shaping up to be a showcase for Spain’s next generation of attacking talent. Veteran players such as Alvaro Morata were not named to the team which leaves the door open for younger talent to step in.
The match against Germany will be a real test right from the start for the young squad. Germany have a high-quality backline which should test Spain’s young attackers right from the start.
Main Photo
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