Spain manager Luis de la Fuente explains absence of Real Madrid star | OneFootball

Spain defeated Georgia 4-0 on Saturday, and they did so without the services of Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen. The 20-year-old, who was projected to start in Tbilisi, dropped out of the squad after suffering discomfort during a training session in the lead-up to the World Cup qualifier.

As per Marca, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente addressed the situation with Huijsen in the aftermath of the Georgia match, as he gave an update on whether he could be involved against Türkiye on Tuesday.

“He has a slight discomfort. The priority as always is to take care of the player, and today we have shown it again. We are in perfect communication with the Real Madrid doctors and we thought it was best for him to rest.

“Tomorrow we will see how he is and we will assess with our medical services and those of Real Madrid. No one is going to leave the camp as long as the medical services do not indicate otherwise. The footballer is delighted to be here and tomorrow we will assess if the slight discomfort he has prevents him from playing in Seville.”

Image via Lars Baron/Getty Images

De la Fuente reacts to impressive victory in Tbilisi

During his post-match press conference, de la Fuente also spoke of his pride at Spain’s all-conquering form over the last couple of years, as well as being on the cusp of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

“There is a great reason to be proud of these players. I am lucky enough to coach players of this dimension, historic, and there is a long way to go. We continue to want to achieve more things, better results, it is very nice to be able to lead this group of young players who do not tire of working to improve.

“Just out of respect for the opponent, which we have a lot of respect for all the teams including Türkiye, we have to keep our feet on the ground and until mathematically it is achieved, we have to maintain this attitude.”