Spain manager ‘more optimistic every day’, gives injury update on Liverpool’s Victor Munoz | OneFootball

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has maintained his steadfast optimism about his side’s chances of lifting the 2026 World Cup this month, ahead of their clash with Austria on Thursday night. La Roja are looking to win their first knockout tie since 2010 at the World Cup, after crashing out early in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Many have been disappointed with La Roja’s performances so far, only seeming to click into gear for the opening period against Saudi Arabia in their second group game. De la Fuente explained that he was pleased with the progress the side was making.

“We really thrive on high standards. We are the first to demand the best of ourselves. You have to adapt to your opponents; that drives improvement. The team is already starting to show many of the automatisms from the past, but we are also very pleased with what we have shown so far. Now there is no margin for error – we have to win,” he told Marca.

Image via RFEF

“As the days go by, I become more optimistic. To me, they are the best in the world. There are surprises, but it depends on who you ask. Not for me. You have to be at your best and avoid making mistakes. I am demanding and realistic, but increasingly optimistic.”

De la Fuente responds to Grimaldo comments

Earlier in the week, new Atletico Madrid signing Alejandro Grimaldo had admitted that he was finding it difficult to remain on the bench behind Marc Cucurella thus far. This was taken as the first sign of potential discontent in the Spain camp, but de la Fuente

“These players are top-tier talents, and here, the simple mathematics are that only eleven can play. But there is an aspect more important than ambition: respect and getting along with one another. Accepting that teammates have the right to play. You have to want what’s best for the team. It’s not about ego, or rather, it’s about positive ego, but the priority here is the team.”

Injury updates on Victor Munoz, Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino

Image via Reuters/Brett Davis

Part of the conversation surrounding Spain’s play has been the inability to call on a number of his best attacking options. Lamine Yamal is expected to be able to feature for the entire match against Austria though.

“He’s ready to play as much as is required of him. We’ve been very cautious with the timeline. We’ll see if he plays [laughs].”

There were fears that Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino would miss the remainder of the World Cup after sustaining fresh injuries against Uruguay. However Pino is expected to be on the bench.

“Yeremy’s situation has been miraculous. It’s nothing serious; he has trained completely normally. Víctor has also trained normally, but he hasn’t played competitively for a while, so we’ll see how the match unfolds… And Nico, thank God, is only experiencing mild discomfort. It rules him out for tomorrow, but we are very optimistic; if we manage to advance, he should be ready for the next match.”

New Liverpool signing Victor Munoz is yet to feature for Spain this tournament, and has not played competitive football since mid-May. He is expected to be on the bench against Austria, but given the absence of Williams, his return could be key for La Roja if they make it into the latter stages.