Barcelona defender’s World Cup chances in jeopardy after omission from latest Spain squad | OneFootball

Luis de la Fuente has announced his Spain squad for the upcoming international break, where La Roja will take on Serbia and Egypt.

Spain were initially tipped to face Argentina in the much-awaited Finalissima, but that was cancelled due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

Spain will now take on Serbia and Egypt in friendlies, giving de la Fuente a last chance to tweak his team before the World Cup this summer.

While the Spain squad features many Barcelona stars, there was one major absentee.

Two key Barcelona stars missing from Spain squad

The most obvious name missing from the Spain squad is Eric Garcia. The defender has been omitted from the list even though he has been enjoying an excellent season.

Now, according to SPORT, the Spanish international’s chances of making it to the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup could be in jeopardy as manager De la Fuente seems to already have a clear idea of who could be a part of his plans for the tournament.

Eric Garcia is not part of the Spain team in the upcoming international break. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Garcia’s versatility and composure have been a lifeline for the Barcelona defence this season. As such, he was expected to be guaranteed inclusion in the Spain team.

However, thus far, the Spain manager has not rewarded the defender with an opportunity with La Roja.

It must be noted that Garcia is dealing with discomfort that forced him off the pitch against Newcastle earlier this week. This could also be a possible explanation for his exclusion from the Spanish national team heading into this international break.

However, as things stand, Garcia seems to be out of De la Fuente’s plans for the World Cup.

Gavi also absent

Another notable absentee from the Barcelona roster in the Spain squad is Gavi. But it does make sense as the youngster has just returned from a long-term injury and is far from 100% right now.

Barcelona themselves are likely to take a very cautious approach with Gavi, as they look to avoid the player aggravating his injury once again.

It will be interesting to see if Gavi can regain full fitness soon and make an impression during the final phase of the campaign, as it would potentially help him make a late push for the World Cup.