Thigh injury forces Spain to be without key player for opening UEFA Nations League fixtures

08/20/2024 12:23 PM

Spain begin their UEFA Nations League title defence in September. The undisputed European champions face back-to-back away matches against Serbia and Switzerland in Group A, although they've been dealt a further blow ahead of those fixtures.

Luis de la Fuente will not be able to call upon captain Alvaro Morata or Rodri Hernandez for the Serbia match, as they will each serve a one-match suspension for their "Gibraltar is Spanish" chants during La Roja's Euro 2024 celebrations. As it turns out, the former also won't feature against Switzerland.

As per Relevo, Morata suffered a thigh injury during his debut for AC Milan last weekend. He is expected to be out of action for 3-4 weeks, which would mean that he misses the two UEFA Nations League fixtures. He's expected to return immediately after.

Because of this, de la Fuente will need a new starting striker for the matches. Mikel Oyarzabal is a likely candidate for Spain, while there could also be a chance for Borja Mayoral – the Getafe talisman has been included in the pre-list.

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