De la Fuente settles the debate over Lamine Yamal ahead of England clash

Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of the Spain national team, has confirmed that Lamine Yamal, the FC Barcelona star, is ready to participate against England after fully recovering. This ends the speculation surrounding the player's condition and the decision to exclude him from the previous international camp, emphasizing that what happened can be repeated without hesitation.

The Spain coach said: "Lamine is in great shape, and we will repeat what we did. He has recovered perfectly," referring to his insistence on his previous decision, despite the criticism he faced for keeping the player at FC Barcelona during the last international break.

De la Fuente did not hide his annoyance at the controversy surrounding the incident, stating: "I am not angry about what happened, all I said is that I am annoyed when the truth is not told, and I believe this is a feeling everyone shares. It is a human thing by nature."

He added: "The reception that Lamine received yesterday, like Mikel, was absolutely fantastic, and we are happy about that. There is nothing else, and I also have the right to express the things that I do not like."

Regarding the possibility of including the FC Barcelona star in the starting lineup, the coach has left the final decision open, but he emphasized that the player's physical condition does not pose any obstacle to his participation, as he has regained his fitness and is now fully ready.

He explained: "We will see if he starts the match as a starter. If that happens, it will be because he is in perfect physical condition. No one knows how the match will go later, but he is completely ready. He has trained with his club and has had a good rest."

Mikel Oyarzabal is ready for the match, while Alejandro Grimaldo will be the only absentee for Spain due to flu symptoms.

Regarding the upcoming clash, De la Fuente placed the England national team among the elite global teams, considering that they are no less powerful than France and Portugal, given the significant closeness in levels among the giants of international football.

He said: "The differences between France, Portugal, and England are very small, and any of these teams can win against the other. When the top ten national teams in the world face each other, there are no significant differences, and in a single match, any team can achieve victory."

In discussing the playing style, Spain's coach expressed his confidence in his team's football identity, affirming his preference for the approach his national team employs, despite his great appreciation for what the England team offers.

He added: "We are facing two of the strongest national teams. If I had to choose between the English style of football and our style, I would choose our style. The English model is very good as well, but we do not have that kind of players. Tomorrow's match could be one of the best matches to watch, perhaps the best ever."

In another context, De la Fuente firmly commented on the statements regarding the spread of racism in Spain, sending a message to Thomas Tuchel, saying: "Tell Thomas that there is no racism in Spain, we are not racists, just as is the case in England."

Regarding the ambitions of the Spain national team in the match, the head coach excluded the option of playing for a draw, despite the possibility that this result could suffice to achieve the team's goals, confirming that his players will enter the match in search of victory and to continue their winning streak.

He said in this regard: "I assure you this will not happen. We want to win. We have achieved 12 consecutive victories, and we aspire to achieve the thirteenth victory. Our only goal is to win."

De la Fuente also recalled the achievements that the national team has made in the past period, pointing to the record number of consecutive matches without defeat that the team has set, while confirming that ambition does not stop at what has been achieved so far.

He concluded his statements by saying: "We have indeed created an era, and we will see if anyone can surpass what we have achieved in the future. We are the national team with the most matches unbeaten in history, but we do not want to stop there; we aspire to achieve more."

He added: "This team has had great ambition from the start, and it has one obsession, which is to treat every match we play as if it were the last, as if it were a Final. We still have a lot of room for improvement, and we can deliver more."