Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has decided to leave young forward Carlos Espí out of the final matchday squad to face the Czech Republic in Saturday evening’s UEFA Nations League Group A fixture.
The decision comes just hours after the Real Madrid striker arrived at La Roja’s training camp late on Friday night from Ibiza—where he had been competing with Spain’s Under-21 side—effectively postponing his ambition to make his senior international debut.
Espí was called up as an emergency replacement for Ferran Torres, who left the squad due to persistent pain in his left ankle. However, given the tight timeframe and the player’s lack of participation in tactical preparations, De La Fuente opted to keep him out of the matchday squad.
Will Carlos Espí Play Against Croatia?
His omission against the Czech Republic does not signal the end of his opportunity during this international window. Espí remains eligible for selection in Spain’s final fixture against Croatia, scheduled for Tuesday, October 6 in Split.
The 21-year-old forward is expected to train normally with the main group starting Sunday, providing ample time to impress De La Fuente and potentially secure minutes, even as a substitute, against the Croatians.
Espí has enjoyed a standout start to the season with Real Madrid, scoring two crucial goals against Espanyol and Elche despite logging just 26 minutes of playing time across five appearances—contributions that directly secured four points for the club.
Furthermore, his senior call-up was earned on the back of a historic five-goal, two-assist performance in Spain U21’s 13–0 demolition of San Marino, though his first senior international cap remains pending.
De La Fuente’s Attacking Options
Mikel Oyarzabal remains the primary choice to lead the attack, while Espanyol forward Roberto Fernández was included in the matchday squad and assigned the No. 17 shirt, putting him in line to potentially earn his senior debut.
The Spanish coach retains ample depth on the wings, featuring Lamine Yamal, Yeremy Pino, Víctor Muñoz, and Alex Baena, while Dani Olmo and Fermín López provide additional attacking versatility despite the absences of Ferran Torres and Nico Williams.
Espí was not the only notable omission from the squad; De La Fuente also opted to rest Pau Cubarsí after the Barcelona defender played every minute of Spain’s opening two group matches, paving the way for Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, and Dean Huijsen in central defense.
