MADRID, 17 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The national football coach, Luis Enrique Martínez, will offer this Friday the squad list for the friendly matches against Albania, on Saturday March 26 at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, and Iceland, on Tuesday 29 in Riazor, A Coruña, and with those who will theoretically begin the tests for the World Cup in Qatar, so there could be, as usual, some surprises.
The Asturian coach will have the opportunity to show his first cards ahead of the final appointment of 2022 in a list that, as always, is competitive in many positions and in which, with respect to the last one for the two duels in November, they will surely return ‘fixed’ theorists.
Thus, the one from Gijón could not count on three of his ‘favorite’ attackers in the matches against Greece and Sweden, such as Ferran Torres (FC Barcelona), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) and Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), who should come into this convocation.
The young Yéremi Pino (Villarreal), who entered that list, but who was finally dropped due to injury, and Adama Traoré (FC Barcelona) who is having continuity and good play on his return to the Catalan club aspire to be among the chosen ones, while the madridista Marcos Asensio, a soccer player to the liking of Luis Enrique, could see his improvement rewarded in recent weeks. These names could close the doors to others such as Raúl de Tomás (Espanyol), Pablo Fornals (West Ham) or Brahim Díaz (Milan), who were in the last one.
As for the center of the field, an area where there is also a lot of competition, the coach could try a new face like that of Verdiblanco Sergio Canales, whom he already knows and who is at a good level, or that of Sergi Darder who is shining at Espanyol, to reinforce a line in which other players such as Carlos Soler (Valencia) and Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad) hope to be.
Finally, with a goal that seems to be the “clearest” line, in defence, the Asturian coach will have to deal with two important casualties, such as those of left-back José Luis Gayá (Valencia) and central defender Íñigo Martínez (Athletic Club).
The first could reopen the door to Marcos Alonso (Chelsea), with the option also of Sergio Reguilón (Tottenham), while the absence of the Biscayan could be covered with another central defender he knows such as Diego Llorente (Leeds United) or some novelty like the madridista Nacho. In addition, the versatile Marcos Llorente (Atlético) could return to a list in which it remains to be seen if Luis Enrique will maintain confidence in a Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) who has some doubts.
At 11:45 a.m., the RFEF will reveal the players mentioned by Luis Enrique through the official channels of the Spanish soccer team. Then, starting at 1:30 p.m., he will offer a press conference from the RCDE Stadium in Cornellà-El Prat.