Overview
- On Sunday, Luis de la Fuente said Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz are on track to be available for Spain’s World Cup opener but warned that starts and minutes are not guaranteed.
- The three players stayed at Spain’s Chattanooga training base to continue staged rehabilitation instead of travelling to Mexico for the squad’s final warm‑up game.
- Spanish media and club sources have reported proposed minute limits for Yamal as part of load management, with one report citing about 15 minutes in the first match and up to 60 in the second as a phased return.
- Yamal missed the end of Barcelona’s season after a hamstring tear in April and is viewed as a central creative threat for Spain, so his managed return aims to lower the risk of reinjury and protect his career.
- Spain enter the tournament among the favourites after their Euro 2024 win, and the medical-driven selection choices for these attackers could materially shape Spain’s tactics and game plans in the group stage.