Brais Méndez can still dream of participating in the European Championship with Spain. The right wing striker annex midfielder of Celta de Vigo has been included in the selection by national coach Luis Enrique due to the corona infection of Sergio Busquets. Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds United), Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) and Carlos Soler (Valencia) will also train for the time being. However, it does not mean that the four players called up will also go to the European Championship.
All alarm bells went off in the Spanish camp on Sunday, when it turned out that Busquets had tested positive for corona. The experienced midfielder is in quarantine and is therefore not training with the Spanish team for the time being. With a view to possible new infections, Enrique immediately called up four reserve players.
Remarkably, the Spanish elector selected only 24 players for his final European Championship squad, while UEFA exceptionally allows 26 players for the upcoming European Championship. The selection has already been handed in and so Spain will go to the European Championship with a maximum of 24 players. Field players who are physically unable to play may be replaced prior to the tournament. So if it is decided to let Busquets lose weight, Méndez, Moreno, Fornals or Soler can be added to the selection. Goalkeepers may also (unlike field players) be replaced during the entire tournament.
For Méndez, the call-up to the Spanish national team will have come as a complete surprise. The 24-year-old Celta player had already started his holiday on Mykonos, until he suddenly received a phone call from Enrique on Monday. Méndez, who has only played once before for Spain, then boarded the plane to join the squad. Méndez has been vaccinated against the corona virus, because he is part of the Olympic selection of Spain.
Spain played only one exhibition game in preparation for the European Championship: against Portugal, both teams could not find the net (0-0). The first match at the European Championship for Spain against Sweden will follow in exactly one week. Then plays la Roja in the group against Poland and Slovakia. All of Spain’s group matches are played at La Cartuja in Seville.
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