Spain manager Luis de la Fuente gives update on Lamine Yamal back injury | OneFootball

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has calmed fears over a potential back injury to Lamine Yamal, after the Barcelona star was taken off against Bulgaria. La Roja cruised to a win in Sofia, but de la Fuente warned that his side could expect a tougher game against Turkiye on Sunday.

The game was more or less settled in the first half, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella and Mikel Merino putting Spain firmly in control in the first half. De la Fuente noted that his side were not happy with the second half.

“We played well, especially in the first half. But then we got infected and lacked freshness. But that’s normal because we’re just starting the season. I’m sure the Turkey match will be different, and I hope we’re in good shape,” he told Diario AS after the match.

“It wasn’t an easy game, and the second half got complicated, but we went into the break with a 3-0 deficit, and that gave us peace of mind. We did what we always do, which is try to leverage our strengths and get a little better every day.”

‘We’re terribly demanding’ – De la Fuente

The Spain coach remarked that his players were ‘upset’ with their inability to extend their lead. Merino hit the bar, while Lamine Yamal also missed a clear chance to do so.

“We’re terribly demanding, the players above all. They were upset about that second half. You have to take everything as a whole.”

La Roja face Turkiye, who won their opening game against Georgia 3-1, in Konya on Sunday night.

“It will be a slightly higher-level and more demanding match for us. We have to constantly improve, and that’s what we’re looking for. Sunday will be like that. It’s a complicated and complex month, and we’ll definitely have to take the steps we usually take. Being self-critical is very important.”

Lamine Yamal taken off with back discomfort

De la Fuente confirmed after the game that all of his players finished the game ‘healthy’. Regarding Lamine Yamal, who was taken off in the second half for Jesus Rodriguez complaining of a back problem, de la Fuente confirmed to Cadena SER that he should be available for their clash with Turkiye.

While the 18-year-old ‘felt something’, it is not believed to be an injury as such. On Friday, Lamine Yamal will sit out training, before returning to prepare against Turkiye.

Image via RFEF

De la Fuente unconcerned by number nine question

It was Oyarzabal that de la Fuente selected to start up front through the middle, with captain Alvaro Morata on the bench, and he was rewarded with a goal from the Basque forward. It has been posited as one of the question marks over the Spain side, with Ferran Torres and Samu Aghehowa also in contention for the position.

“I’m not at all worried about this because we have players who can score goals, and plenty of them. At the last European Championship, we broke Spain’s all-time record for goals in the final stages, and we did it with ten different scorers from all positions.”