Spain without Real Madrid in the World Cup.
The young star Lamine Jamal leads the lineup of the Spain national football team announced by coach Luis de la Fuente on Monday, which for the first time in history does not include any player from Real Madrid in the World Cup.
The lineup saw the return of Arsenal player Mikel Merino after recovering from injury.
For the first time in the World Cup, the "La Roja" lineup does not include a player from Real Madrid, following the exclusion of Dean Hausen and veteran Dani Carvajal after suffering injuries throughout the season.
Merino, a favorite of de la Fuente and recently crowned English league champion, came on as a substitute against Crystal Palace on Sunday in the final match of the domestic season, marking his first appearance since January after recovering from a foot fracture.
De la Fuente also called up defenders Eric Garcia and Marc Pubil after impressive seasons with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively, while Atletico's other player Ruban Lo Norman was also excluded.
Alongside Jamal and midfielder Rodri, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams played a significant role in leading Spain to the European Championship title in 2024, and he was included in the World Cup squad despite a troubled season with physical issues.
As for Jamal (18 years old), he is at risk of missing the first matches of the tournament scheduled in the United States, Mexico, and Canada due to a hamstring injury he sustained with the Catalan giant, which has kept him off the field since late April.
De la Fuente, in response to a question about when Jamal would return, said: "We will not rush things. According to the information we have, everyone should be ready for the first or second match. We will not take risks with any player, but if there is a right time to take a risk, it is definitely in the World Cup."
He added: "Do we feel like we are contenders to win the World Cup? Yes. But that guarantees nothing, as there are other strong teams like England, France, Brazil, and Argentina... and even if you are better than the opponent, in football, you can also lose."
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Juan Garcia (Barcelona).
Defense: Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubil (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen).
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