The manager also addressed his broader squad dynamics, including the addition of Eric Garcia and the physical freshness of Arsenal's Merino following a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Furthermore, this selection marks a historic milestone as the first Spanish World Cup squad to featurezero Real Madrid representatives, following the omissions of Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen, Gonzalo Garcia and Fran Garcia.
Discussing Yamal and his injured contingent, De la Fuente added: "The situation of the injured players is good, given where each one is in their recovery process. They will all be available, optimistically, for the first match. Then, we'll assess whether it's beneficial for them to play in the first match. But our focus is on something beyond the first match."