Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has named seven Barcelona players in his squad for the two-legged UEFA Nations League semi-final against Netherlands, but Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Fermin Lopez and Eric Garcia have missed out.
There was a strong expectation that Balde would be in the squad considering his form for Barcelona this season, and his absence is potentially the biggest surprise.
Gavi, meanwhile, has not been involved with the national side for the last 14 months, but having returned to fitness, it was also thought that the midfielder would be handed a recall for the semi-final with Netherlands.
Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Marc Casado, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo are the seven Barcelona players included, while there is also a first call-up for Real Madrid‘s Raul Asencio.
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Gavi, Balde are left out of Spain squad for Nations League semi-final
There has also been suggestions that Bournemouth‘s Dean Huijsen would be in the squad considering his performances in the Premier League this season, but the centre-back has fallen short.
The same can also be said for Marco Asencio, who has been excellent for Aston Villa since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January, with the attacker not in De la Fuente’s plans at this moment in time.
Real Betis‘ Isco and Atletico Madrid‘s Pablo Barrios are two more surprising absentees considering their performances this season.
Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon and Atletico’s Robin Le Normand have both been recalled after missing out on the last squad, while Real Sociedad‘s Martin Zubimendi and Villarreal’s Alex Baena are also back in the selection.
Rodri is a standout absentee for Spain, with the Manchester City star still on the sidelines with a long-term knee injury, and the midfield area is light considering the talent in the final third of the field.
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In-demand Porto star Samu retains his position in the squad
There is currently a host of speculation surrounding the future of Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who made his debut for Spain last November, featuring off the bench against Switzerland.
Samu keeps his spot in the squad, which is not a surprise considering that he has scored 20 goals and registered three assists in 33 appearances in all competitions at club level this season.
Manchester United, Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs said to be interested in signing the 20-year-old this summer, and he could potentially be Spain’s starting striker at the 2026 World Cup.
Spain will enter the first leg of their semi-final with Netherlands off the back of a five-game winning run, while La Roja are unbeaten in all competitions since a 1-0 friendly loss to Colombia almost one year ago.
Spain squad in full:
Goalkeepers: David Raya (Arsenal), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad)
Defenders: Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur), Oscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo), Robin Le Normand (Atletico Madrid), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Inigo Martinez (Barcelona), Raul Asencio (Real Madrid), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Marc Casado (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Alex Baena (Villarreal), Pedri (Barcelona)
Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal), Ayoze Perez (Villarreal), Alvaro Morata (AC Milan), Bryan Zaragoza (Bayern Munich), Samu Aghehowa (Porto), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)
