A surprising decision from De la Fuente regarding Yamal

Would it be a gamble?

Luis de la Fuente, the Spain head coach, has confirmed that Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is fit to feature against England next Sunday at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium.

Speaking to the Spanish news agency, De la Fuente explained that the pain Yamal is suffering from "prevents him from being at his best". His staff put the player's health first and gave him time to rest and recover fully, with one eye on the much-anticipated clash against England on Sunday in the final round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.

"This was the decision that had to be taken," the head coach said. "The player was certainly ready to feature, and had we faced an emergency, we would have decided to use him, but it was not worth taking any risk. We thought first of his health, then of our desire to have him in the best possible condition during next Sunday's clash."

The winger has carried the problem since Barcelona's last Champions League match against Aston Villa at the Camp Nou on the 3rd of this month, which left "a slight inflammation that prevented him from being in good condition". That prompted the staff to keep him in Barcelona and delay his arrival at the national team's camp at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, Madrid.

"In normal circumstances, the player should arrive without any problem," De la Fuente added. He expects Yamal to join the camp on Thursday evening, as Spain face the Czech Republic in Prague, or on Friday morning, giving him two training sessions before the England match.

Every player gets the same treatment when health comes before any other consideration, the coach stressed. There is no differentiation, and avoiding the risk is the best call.

"If there is a final, the player himself asks you to feature whatever the circumstances," he said. "But in this case, the best decision is to ensure they arrive at the other match in perfect condition. Lamine Yamal could have played on Thursday, but it is also possible that, had he played that match, he would not have arrived at Sunday's clash in the best physical condition."

On Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal, De la Fuente explained that the player is finishing his recovery from the flu and waiting for the birth of his second child. When he joins the camp will depend on the delivery going smoothly.

"He is currently awaiting the moment his wife gives birth, as she is about to deliver," he continued. "We hope the birth takes place as soon as possible, and that things go well so he can join us. We have to wait until the last moment."

Spain held a closed training session on Tuesday in Las Rozas. Liverpool winger Victor Muñoz took part as normal, having joined the squad to cover the temporary absence of both Yamal and Oyarzabal. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya also featured after wrapping up personal commitments in London, which had delayed his arrival at the camp with the head coach's approval.

Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi looks the likeliest option to cover for the injured Rodri Hernández. De la Fuente confirmed the player will be available for both matches, despite wearing a protective mask to shield his nose from the injury he suffered with the London side.

"He has previously played matches while wearing the mask," the Spain coach concluded. "He suffered a broken nose, but he can play without any problem while wearing the protective device."