FC Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal has been tipped to start for the Spanish national team
as they hope to get their FIFA World Cup campaign back on track following a disappointing draw against Cape Verde.Yamal did not start that match as he was still recovering from an injury sustained playing for Barça. Spain dominated possession but were unable to score as goalkeeper Vozinha had a man-of-the-match performance for Cape Verde as the match ended 0-0.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has now been asked
if Yamal can play 45 minutes and offered up the following response.
“That’s a very good question, but we’ll have to assess it,” he told Cope
“Matches are often decided in the second half, so we’ll consider whether it’s more advantageous to push the pace a bit at the beginning or take advantage of the opponents’ fatigue and Lamine’s crucial final minutes. And that’s where we’ll make the decision.
“You have an initial plan, but many things, the circumstances of the game, lead you to other situations. Lamine isn’t ready for 90 minutes, but he’s available to play. We’re not risking anyone. His optimal performance is around an hour, but it could be 60 or 53. We’ll see. There are fifty thousand details in a match that make you change.”
Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur is also expected to come in for Atlético de Madrid’s Marcos Llorente at right-back. Other changes could be in order, particularly in midfield. Gavi could also swap positions or be dropped as he started the first match out of position, playing as a winger.
One player not expected to leave the starting XI is Pau Cubarsí. The 19-year-old started the first match and, though he did not have too much defending to do, was considered by pundits to have done a good job in the center of defense.
