Spain’s De la Fuente Hits Out at ‘Lying’ Over Yamal Injury
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente rejected claims that Lamine Yamal gets special treatment, saying the forward's right knee inflammation kept him home from the Nations League game in Czechia. He expects Yamal back for the England match in Madrid.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has angrily denied that Lamine Yamal receives preferential treatment with the Spain national football team, saying the forward stayed home from the Nations League trip to Czechia because of inflammation in his right knee.
Yamal did not travel for Thursday's match in Prague. He is still expected to be available for the game against England in Madrid.
'Lamine doesn't have any special privileges'
De la Fuente said he was upset by coverage of Yamal's delayed arrival at the squad's camp. Some media reports suggested the Barcelona player was being treated differently from his teammates.
"Our medical staff assessed him, and I decided that, to avoid the trip, it would be better for him to stay home for treatment with his club," De la Fuente said. "Lamine doesn't have any special privileges. We would have done this for any other player."
The coach went further on the reporting itself. "What hurts me most is the lying, the lack of rigor, the absence of truthfulness and the fabrication," he said.
He added that he had shared more detail than he perhaps should have, because it was the only way for people to know the truth. "I can't stand people who try to deceive you and lie," De la Fuente said.
Recovery on track
The Spanish federation said Yamal reported discomfort in his right knee after Barcelona's 2-1 win at Atlético Madrid in the Spanish league. De la Fuente said he spoke to the player on both Tuesday and Wednesday of this international window.
"The recovery is going well, and we believe he will be with us on Friday," he said.
Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal was also expected to join the squad late. He is recovering from the flu in San Sebastian.
Group stakes
Defending world champion Spain lead their Nations League group with 12 points from four matches. England are second, three points behind, and the two meet in Madrid in the next round of fixtures.
Spain have already qualified for the quarterfinals. Croatia have three points.
Czechia have none. Coach Santi Denia's side lost all four games and conceded 10 goals, and the hosts now face a fight to avoid relegation. Kickoff in Prague was set for 8:45 p.m. local time.
