Housen Faces the Specter of Missing the World Cup

Spanish press reports revealed that the young defender Dean Housen does not yet guarantee a place in the Spanish national team's squad for the upcoming World Cup, even though he remains one of the top candidates to be included in the final list.

According to the reports, the coaching staff led by Luis de la Fuente will announce the 26-player squad on May 25, after the end of the Spanish league competitions, with about 20 players already confirmed, while some positions remain open for competition, including the fourth central defender position.

The reports added that the duo Pau Cobarci and Aymeric Laporte are guaranteed to be in the squad and are expected to form the main defensive duo, while Marc Pubill is also close to securing his place after an impressive season.

On the other hand, Housen faces strong competition from several names, most notably Jon Martin and Christian Mosquera, along with Robin Le Normand, Eric Garcia, and Dani Vivian.

The reports indicated that Housen's performance this season with Real Madrid was not stable, as he started the season well before his level gradually declined, especially in recent weeks.

Despite the young defender playing 38 matches this season, including 35 as a starter, the team conceded 41 goals during his appearances, and his presence in crucial matches declined after coach Alvaro Arbeloa preferred to rely on Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger in some major encounters.

The reports also clarified that the young player recently suffered from a health setback that kept him out of some matches, increasing doubts about his readiness and consistency before the final announcement of the World Cup squad.

Despite all this, the player is still part of the initial expanded squad for the Spanish national team, with him still being considered the frontrunner to occupy the last spot in the defense line, but his place is not yet fully guaranteed.