New Spain manager considers Barcelona forward as a key player despite poor form

Following Spain’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, there was a change in management as the RFEF replaced Luis Enrique with Luis de la Fuente.

And the new manager will soon be naming his first squad as the man in charge of La Roja with the first international break of 2023 just around the corner.

Spain will be playing Norway and Scotland later this month as they begin their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

De la Fuente is expected to name his first squad for the two games in a couple of weeks and according to MARCA, the new Spain manager considers Ansu Fati as a key player in his plans with the national team despite the youngster’s poor form.

The 20-year-old has struggled to perform at the desired level this season even though he has been fully fit, having left his injury ordeals behind him.

As a result, regular game-time has been hard to come by at Barcelona under Xavi, with the youngster mostly being used as a substitute. In the matches that he has started, Fati has failed to make the most of those opportunities.

The La Masia graduate missed the La Liga game against Almeria this past weekend due to a knock, but is expected to return to action against Real Madrid later this week. And, he should be fit enough to be in the reckoning for a Spain call-up.

As per the report, De la Fuente sees clearly that Fati should be a part of the squad list with Spain. He and his team consider the 20-year-old forward as an important cornerstone in the present and future of the national team.

However, the Spain boss is concerned about the physical and mental state of the Barcelona youngster.

De la Fuente has worked with Fati before, having handed him his debut for the Spain U-21 side back in 2019. The national team boss understands that Fati is a player with special and unique qualities, but also believes that the young forward needs to take a step forward and leave the bad sensations behind.

It will be interesting to see whether Fati will be a part of the new-look Spain squad that De la Fuente calls up for the upcoming international break.