Ansu Fati returns for Spain’s decisive FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Spain coach Luis Enrique referred to as up Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati on Friday for the nationwide group’s decisive World Cup qualifiers in opposition to Greece and Sweden.
With two matches remaining, Spain is in second place behind Sweden of their qualifying group. The group winners qualify for the following 12 months’s event in Qatar, whereas second-place finishers face a playoff.
Spain performs Greece in Athens on Nov. 11 after which hosts Sweden in Seville on Nov. 14. Sweden leads Group B with 15 factors, adopted by Spain with 13 and Greece with 9.
The 19-year-old Fati will be a part of a squad that’s largely untouched from the group that reached the semifinals of the European Championship in July and the Nations League ultimate final month.
The different additions are AC Milan attacking midfielder Brahim Díaz and defender Dani Carvajal, the primary Real Madrid participant that Luis Enrique has included since March.
In September 2020, Fati turned the youngest participant to attain within the historical past of Spain’s nationwide group on the age of 17 years, 311 days when he scored in a 4-0 win over Ukraine. Two months later, Fati injured his left knee meniscus and was sidelined for 10 months.
He lastly returned to play for Barcelona in late September. Fati has scored three objectives in seven appearances since then, together with the winner in Barcelona’s 1-0 victory at Dynamo Kyiv this week within the Champions League.
Spain can be with out midfielders Pedri González and Marcos Llorente, ahead Ferran Torres, and striker Mikel Oyarzabal due to damage. Luis Enrique referred to as up Leeds striker Rodrigo Moreno to fill in his depleted assault, whereas Dani Olmo and Álvaro Morata additionally return after lacking the earlier squad due to damage.
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David de Gea (Manchester United), Róbert Sánchez (Brighton)
Defenders: César Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Eric García (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Íñigo Martínez (Athletic Bilbao), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), José Gayà (Valencia)
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri Hernández (Manchester City), Gavi Páez (Barcelona), Koke Resurrección (Atlético Madrid), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Carlos Soler (Valencia)
Forwards: Ansu Fati (Barcelona), Brahim Díaz (AC Milan), Pablo Sarabia (Sporting Lisbon), Pablo Fornals (West Ham), Yéremi Pino (Villarreal), Álvaro Morata (Juventus), Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
Germany remembers Draxler, Brandt for World Cup qualifiers
Germany coach Hansi Flick recalled midfielders Julian Draxler and Julian Brandt on Friday for upcoming World Cup qualifying video games in opposition to Liechtenstein and Armenia.
The most up-to-date of Draxler’s 56 video games for Germany was in October 2020 in a 3-3 draw with Switzerland underneath earlier coach Joachim Löw. Brandt final performed for his nation in November 2020 in a 3-1 victory win over Ukraine.
Neither was a part of the Germany squad that reached the spherical of 16 at this 12 months’s European Championship.
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan additionally returns after lacking two nationwide group video games in October with an damage. Forward Lukas Nmecha has been referred to as up for the primary time after scoring in each of Wolfsburg’s final two Champions League video games.
Flick has received all 5 of his video games in command of Germany and secured a spot on the 2022 World Cup final month forward of matches in opposition to Liechtenstein at residence on Nov. 11 and at Armenia three days later.
