Spain will head to Prague without two of their key players after the Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed on Monday that Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal will miss Thursday’s UEFA Nations League
Group A3 fixture against the Czech Republic. Barcelona’s 19-year-old sensation Yamal reported discomfort in his right knee following a full 90-minute performance in the Catalan side’s 2-1 La Liga victory over Atlético Madrid on Sunday. Despite completing the match and contributing an assist, medical tests led the federation to decide that the teenager should remain in Barcelona to continue his recovery rather than travel with the national team.
Real Sociedad captain Oyarzabal is in the final stages of a bout of flu. He will complete his recovery in San Sebastian and will not join the squad immediately. Both players are expected to link up with Luis de la Fuente’s group in the coming days and should be available for Sunday’s home match against England at the Metropolitano Stadium. The federation stressed that its medical staff remain in daily contact with the doctors at Barcelona and Real Sociedad to monitor the pair’s progress. The absences come as no major surprise given the cautious approach Spanish football has taken with player workload this season, particularly for a young star like Yamal who has been heavily used by both club and country.
Spain call up Víctor Munoz and Jorge de Frutos after injury setbacks
Spain sit comfortably on top of Group A3 with a perfect record of four wins and 12 points, three clear of England. They have already secured qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals, which also means the trip to Czechia carries less pressure than it might otherwise. The Czechs are yet to pick up a point in the group. To cover the gaps, de la Fuente has drafted in Liverpool forward Víctor Munoz and Rayo Vallecano winger Jorge de Frutos. De Frutos replaces Real Sociedad’s Ander Barrenetxea, who picked up an injury at the weekend. The expanded 27-man squad had been assembled partly with such contingencies in mind.
Yamal has been one of the standout performers in European football this campaign. His absence will be felt, yet Spain’s depth and the relatively low stakes of the Czech game should allow de la Fuente to rotate and manage minutes carefully ahead of the more significant encounter with England three days later. With the Nations League group stage coming to a close and a demanding club calendar still ahead, Spain will prioritise caution over short-term selection. The world champions will travel to Prague without two of their most reliable attacking options, but they remain well-placed to finish the group strongly.
