De Gea and Thiago were left off of Spain’s World Cup roster
Ansu Fati of Barcelona was named to Spain’s 26-man World Cup roster on Friday, but Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool and David de Gea of Manchester United were not.
Fati, now 20 years old, earned his international debut in 2020 at the age of 17, and in his second game, he broke Juan Errazquien’s record for the youngest player to score for Spain.
The striker, however, is making progress after undergoing four surgeries to heal damage to his left knee that occurred in November 2020.
“He was one of our last unanswered questions. Although I was on the fence until the very last moment, I chose him because of his exceptional technical skills and the possibility that being with us would greatly motivate him as he strives to regain his best form, according to Spain coach Luis Enrique. “He’s going through a process to get back to being the Ansu Fati he was before the injury.
“It may probably be predicted when he will reach his previous level. It is something that we all seek out.
Luis Enrique declined to comment on the individuals who were left out, but the omission of seasoned players like De Gea, Thiago, and Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso suggests that the manager preferred to focus entirely on Spain’s young prospects.
Thiago saw his role decline with the rise of Barca teenagers Pedri, 19, and Gavi, 18, while De Gea has fallen out of favor with Luis Enrique, who stated in March that he “wanted to test alternative goalkeepers.”
Youth allows you freedom since you are not yet cognizant of the repercussions, according to Luis Enrique. “However, the majority of the kids who are here are already on top-tier clubs. “I’m establishing an infinitely high bar. My objective is to take part in every game.
No one outside of Spain disqualifies Spain as a contender for the top spot. There is no question that we will wage war. Spain was placed in Group E together with Germany, Costa Rica, and Japan.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Robert Sanchez of Brighton & Hove Albion, and Unai Simon of Athletic Bilbao (Brentford).
Defenders: Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Hugo Guillamon (Valencia), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), and Jose Gaya (Valencia).
Sergio Busquets of Barcelona, Rodri Hernandez of Manchester City, Koke Resurreccion of Barcelona, Gavi of Barcelona, Carlos Soler of Paris St. Germain, Marcos Llorente of Atletico Madrid, and Pedri Gonzalez of Barcelona are all midfielders (Atletico Madrid).
Forwards: Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Pablo Sarabia (Paris St. Germain), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Yeremi Pino (Villarreal), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Dani Olmo (Villarreal), and Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
