Spain’s De la Fuente hopeful teen star Yamal can face England

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expressed optimism on Wednesday regarding the potential availability of Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal for an upcoming match against England. Yamal, a 19-year-old, suffered a knee injury in his team's recent La Liga win against Atletico Madrid. He is expected to join Spain after the team's friendly against the Czech Republic on Thursday due to the inflammation and fluid detected in his knee during a scan in Barcelona.

The coach emphasized that both Spain's and Yamal's medical teams have a strong working relationship, leading to the decision to avoid Yamal's participation in the Czech Republic match without certainty about his ability to play. De la Fuente noted that Yamal is recuperating well through exercises with his physio and the club, and he is confident Yamal will be with the team on Friday.

Despite Yamal's recent struggles, the coach maintained that all players are treated equally, as they would handle any other player in a similar situation. Spain has won all four games in their current group, securing qualification to the quarter-finals, and the coach highlighted his team's motivation to surpass previous achievements, which now stand at 43 consecutive competitive victories.

The coach also mentioned Mikel Merino, another player who frequently serves as a substitute and aspires to start games, but he won't protest the coach's decisions; instead, he will respect them and focus on contributing to the team's success.