New Liverpool signing Víctor Muñoz has trained with the rest of the Spain squad as they look to get him back fit for the World Cup knockout stages.
El Dia report that the focus was on the 22-year-old in Spain’s camp as they prepare for their clash with Austria on Thursday.
Liverpool man returns
The Spanish national team are currently training in Chattanooga before setting off for Los Angeles for the clash with Ralph Rangnick’s side.
Training was dictated by the heat, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, but also the physical condition of several players. While there were absences due to the physical game against Uruguay, Spain are also trying to get players who have been missing so far.
Víctor Muñoz is one of those players. Indeed, the focus was very much on the incoming Liverpool player as he trained with the full squad.
The winger has been struggling with muscle discomfort since the beginning of the World Cup. He is yet to make his debut at the tournament. Him starting training with the squad is very much a positive for manager Luis de la Fuente. He currently only has Lamine Yamal available on the wings.
Injury risk
Víctor Muñoz
The risk, of course, is that he is rushed back too soon and aggravates the problem again. That is something Spain will want to avoid. They are already without Nico Williams. And Yeremy Pino nursing a should sprain following an awkward fall in the clash with Uruguay.
Liverpool will also be wary. They’ve already wrapped up the deal for the Osasuna winger. But they won’t want him arriving at Anfield this summer with lingering fitness issues thanks to Spain being in a hurry to get him back.
It’s a delicate situation, to say the least. While his return to team training is a positive, whether he features on Thursday remains to be seen.