Spain will have to cope without Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal for Thursday's Euro 2024 qualifier at home against Scotland at Estadio de La Cartuja.
The 16-year-old, who became Spain's youngest-ever player and goalscorer in a 7-1 victory over Georgia last month, has been forced to withdraw from the national team squad due to a hip injury.
Fellow winger Yeremy Pino has also withdrawn after picking up a hamstring injury in the first half of Villarreal's 2-1 La Liga defeat to Las Palmas on Sunday, while the likes of Pedri (hamstring), Dani Olmo (knee), Marco Asensio (foot) and Jose Gaya (thigh) are also unavailable due to injury.
La Roja head coach Luis de la Fuente has since called up two players in Ansu Fati – on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion from Barcelona – and Granada's Bryan Zaragoza, who has received his first senior call-up, and both attackers are in contention to feature on Thursday.
The absence of both Yamal and Pino could see Ferran Torres handed a start on the right side of a front three, with captain Alvaro Morata leading the line down the middle and Nico Williams occupying the left wing.
Gavi, Rodri and Mikel Merino are the most likely trio to start in centre-midfield, but Fabian Ruiz could push the latter for a place in De la Fuente's first XI.
Left-back Gaya played in Spain's most recent match – a 6-0 victory over Cyprus on September 12 – but his absence from the squad this month will likely see Alejandro Balde receive his seventh international cap on the left side of back four, which could also include Aymeric Laporte, Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal; Unai Simon, meanwhile, is set to continue in goal.
Spain possible starting lineup: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Balde; Merino, Rodri, Gavi; Torres, Morata, N. Williams
