LAS ROZAS (MADRID), Oct. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Athletic Club midfielder Oihan Sancet is the main novelty in the list of 24 called up provided this Friday by the men’s national soccer coach Luis de la Fuente for the matches against Scotland and Norway in the qualifying phase for the 2024 European Championship in Germany. .
The Navarrese footballer, 23 years old and European runner-up last summer with the Under-21 team, has been performing at a good level for several months and has finally received the first call to play for the Absolute team.
The one from Pamplona, chosen this time to the detriment of Alex Baena (Villarreal), present on the previous list, or a thriving Brais Méndez (Real Sociedad), plays a key role in the creative framework of his team, in which Ernesto Valverde He modified his position last season to put him more in the center of the field and as a hooker than as a more ‘pure’ forward. This year he has only scored one goal, but last season he scored 10 and was practically indisputable for both De la Fuente himself and Santi Denia with the U-21.
In addition to Sancet, the Riojan coach cited on his list several players whom he had called in previous calls, such as the veteran Jesús Navas (Sevilla), who could not be in the previous one due to physical problems, but who had already been in the ‘ Final Four’ of the Nations League.
For the other left back, where there was a vacant position due to the injury of José Luis Gayà (Valencia), the selected one was the Madrid player Fran García, who has not yet made his debut with an Absolute team in which he was for the ‘F4’ and who He won the match against Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), a player in very good shape. From the defense, compared to the previous list, César Azpilicueta (Atlético) falls, and Pau Torres (Aston Villa) remains.
Also returning to the ‘Roja’ is Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), who although he was called up in De la Fuente’s first call-up, had missed the last two calls. The ‘txuri-urdin’ captain is beginning to recover the level he had before his serious knee injury and has scored four goals in his last four games.
The ’10’ of Real entered the shortlist of forwards in which Ferran Torres (FC Barcelona) and Yéremi Pino (Villarreal) are followed, called in the previous one after the physical problems of Dani Olmo (Leipzig) and Marco Asensio (PSG ) during the clash against Georgia, as did the 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona).
On Thursday, October 12 (8:45 p.m.) Spain will host the British team at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, leader of Group A with full points and who won at Hampden Park 2-0, and will later visit Oslo three days later. to face Norway at the Ullevaal Stadium (20:45), the other direct rival for the two direct tickets to the continental event. On Monday the 9th, those summoned will gather at the federation headquarters.
–LIST OF CALLED.
GOALKEEPERS: Unai Simón (Athletic Club), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid) and David Raya (Arsenal).
DEFENSES: Jesús Navas (Sevilla), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad), Alejandro Balde (FC Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr), Dani Carvajal and Fran García (Real Madrid), David García (Osasuna) and Pau Torres ( Aston Villa).
MIDFIELDERS: Rodri Hernández (Manchester City), Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Gavi (FC Barcelona), Fabián Ruiz (PSG) and Oihan Sancet (Athletic Club).
FORWARDS: Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres (FC Barcelona), Álvaro Morata (Atlético de Madrid), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Joselu (Real Madrid) and Yéremi Pino (Villarreal).