Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has made four changes to his World Cup-winning squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. The Barcelona duo of Gavi and Joan García have been omitted, the first due to a one-match suspension and the latter because of a knee injury sustained last Wednesday.
Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martínez and Espanyol forward Roberto Fernández have received their first senior call-ups. Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen returns after missing the tournament in the United States, as does midfielder Fermín López, who was ruled out of the World Cup through injury. Celta Vigo's Borja Iglesias is the third player from the triumphant squad to miss out, following the international retirement of Marcos Llorente.
Gavi serves a suspension for unsporting behaviour during the World Cup final, meaning he would have been unavailable for the opener against England regardless. Barcelona have not provided a return date for Joan García, who joins Pedro Porro on the injured list. De la Fuente turns to a squad riding a five-game winning streak, most recently a 1-0 victory over Argentina in July.
Spain begin their Nations League campaign away to England at Wembley on 26 September, a match featured on our fixtures page. They will then face Croatia and the Czech Republic in a run of games that will test the depth of the refreshed selection. Forward Mikel Oyarzabal, the team's top scorer this season with five goals, will be a key attacking figure for the European champions.
The original report is at Straits Times Sport
