Spain's under 21 team will take on Lithuania on Tuesday's friendly match because the senior team players have been put in isolation.
Follow Us
Spain head coach Luis Enrique has decided to call up an additional five players to his Euro 2020 squad following a COVID-19 crisis. Defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets has tested positive for coronavirus and has been forced to leave the training camp. Meanwhile, rest of the squad are now in isolation. The senior team was scheduled to play their last friendly match against Lithuania on Tuesday before heading into the Euro’s. But now, their U-21 team will play against Lithuania.
The five new call-ups are- Raul Albiol, Rodrigo Moreno, Pablo Fornals, Carlos Soler and Brais Mendez. They will train as a group in a separate bubble and will be Enrique’s alternatives if more players are tested positive in the coming days. The former Barcelona coach selected a 24-man squad for the Euro’s despite UEFA allowing 26.
“In anticipation of the possible consequences that Sergio Busquets’ positive could bring, the coaching staff has decided to incorporate a group of footballers to complete training sessions over the next few days under Luis Enrique’s orders within a parallel bubble,” read a statement released by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
“Tomorrow the sessions at Las Rozas will be attended by Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds United), Pablo Fornals (West Ham), Carlos Soler (Valencia) and Brais Mendez (Celta Vigo).
“In addition, once the match against Lithuania is over, a small group of footballers, still to be confirmed, will join the training sessions of the senior team under the same conditions as the previous players.
“They will train at different times and will not mix in any way with those already called up.
“The players invited to training will remain outside the bubble of the Ciudad del Futbol and will go to Las Rozas every day after having passed the relevant daily tests before their arrival and during their stay. Their definitive incorporation onto the Euro 2020 list will be assessed according to the results obtained in the coming days.”
Fornals and Mendez have already been vaccinated as they are included in Spain’s preliminary list for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Meanwhile, Rodrigo and Soler have already contracted the virus in the past.
Spain are due to play their first Group E fixture of Euro 2020 against Sweden on June 14 before facing Poland and Slovakia in the other group fixtures.
