Yamal To Start On Bench For Spain’s World Cup Opener Against Cape Verde

Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has confirmed that star forward Lamine Yamal is “in perfect condition” but will begin their World Cup debut against Cape Verde on the substitutes’ bench.

Barcelona winger Yamal, one of the tournament’s most high-profile players, has been working to regain full fitness after sustaining an injury with his club on 22nd April.

De la Fuente has remained optimistic about Yamal’s availability for Spain’s opening Group H fixture, despite the player missing the national team’s last warm-up friendly in Mexico last week.

“The good news is that Lamine is in perfect condition,” De la Fuente stated at a pre-match press conference in Atlanta on Sunday. “He’s arrived at this point in the state in which we wanted him to be. He’s fine, just like Nico [Williams] and Victor [Muñoz]. They’re all available, although some won’t play the entire game.”

Williams and Muñoz have also been dealing with injuries, though all three players participated fully in Spain’s training session at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, on Sunday.

“The doctors say Lamine can play tomorrow without any issues,” De la Fuente added. “Not to play 90 minutes, but to play some minutes, yes… The process [with Williams] is similar. They’ve been working together a lot of days, a lot of hours, and with the relationship they have, they’ve been happy. They could play, if we think the game demands it.”

ESPN reports that De la Fuente also insisted that Spain left-back Marc Cucurella would not be distracted by reports of an impending move from Chelsea to Real Madrid. ESPN reported on Sunday that Madrid had agreed a deal worth up to €60 million for Cucurella, adding to new coach José Mourinho’s squad.

“If it’s good news for Cucu, or someone else, we’ll celebrate it,” De la Fuente said. “I don’t talk about clubs, but if you ask me about Cucurella for the national team, he’s convincing… He’s been with us since he was 17, I know his performance, the quality and potential he has. He might be one of the best left-backs in the world, without doubt.”

Spain will also face Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.