Spain manager talks Lamine, Joan Garcia, Eric, Raphinha, Barcelona – ‘I have to pick the best players’ | OneFootball

Spain take on Egypt on Tuesday in their second friendly of the ongoing international break, with the game set to be played at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium.

It could turn out to be a special occasion for FC Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who has earned his maiden call-up to the La Roja squad, and may make his debut against Egypt.

Luis de la Fuente on Joan Garcia situation

Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s game, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente addressed the possibility of Garcia being handed his debut, opting to keep his cards close to his chest.

“Let’s see how the match goes. They’ll find out tomorrow, and I like them to be the first to know. It’s not one of those so-called friendly matches; we have to field a very competitive team,” he said.

“Those who start will be very good, and as for the goalkeeper, we’ll see what we do.”

De la Fuente then had a message to Espanyol fans who might consider booing Joan Garcia at the RCDE Stadium, following his controversial summer move to Barcelona.

“Leave your biases at home and come to support Spain. Put local loyalties aside; think only of the national team. If anyone feels tempted to do otherwise, leave it at home; if not, stay at home. Come and enjoy yourselves after so many years,” he said.

Spain debut awaits? (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Once again on the topic of Joan Garcia potentially playing against Egypt and whether he plans to switch goalkeepers during the game, De la Fuente added:

“I can’t say for sure, as it depends on how the match goes and on the decisions we make to win it. We’ll field a competitive team to win, doing everything we can to maintain the intensity and standard.”

On Eric, Lamine Yamal

Meanwhile, De la Fuente also explained his decision to leave out Eric Garcia from the Spain squad and touched on the possibility of the Barcelona defender making the squad for the FIFA World Cup.

“Eric has been with me in the Under-19s, Under-21s and the Olympic squad. He’s much loved by everyone, including me, and he’s got every chance of making it,” the La Roja coach said.

“He’s had a minor injury and that might be why he hasn’t come. There are still two months to go and a lot can happen yet.”

The Spain manager then spoke of Lamine Yamal and the young winger’s development over the past couple of years, saying:

“He’s a far better player than he was two years ago, and he’s not yet at his peak. He has that special touch, and his influence on the team grows day by day.

“He still has a long way to go and plenty of room for improvement. Right now, he’s in brilliant form, playing at his best. It’s one of the highlights of the season.”

Barcelona are concerned about Lamine’s workload. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

On how he balances the desire of a player like Lamine to play every single minute of every single match with the need for workload management, De la Fuente remarked:

“He could be in contention for a starting place because we want to win. We need to freshen up the team, but obviously without tiring the players out – all of them.

“I understand that the Barça manager is keen, I understand that everyone has their own personal ambitions, but I have to look out for everyone’s best interests. I have to field a team that can win.”

Addressing Barcelona’s concerns about Lamine’s workload management after the injury sustained by Raphinha while playing for Brazil, De la Fuente noted:

“I just have to pick the best team to win. I understand that everyone has their favourites, but I take everyone into account. I’m empathetic towards others and now I demand the same in return.

“It’s a shame about Raphinha, but there are players from Barça, Madrid, Athletic… There are seven from Barça and that’s great news for them. I have to pick the best players.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo