Spain are visiting Georgia at the Boris Paitchadze Dinamo Arena for Matchday 9 of the UEFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, with a strong chance of securing direct qualification for the prestigious international tournament. However, Luis de la Fuente’s team must achieve their goal without star forward Lamine Yamal, who is unavailable for this contest.
Lamine Yamal will not play against Georgia because the Barcelona forward has been released from the current call-up to prioritize his health after undergoing an intervention to treat a problem in his groin. Medical recommendation suggests the player needs rest for 7 to 10 days.
The Spanish National Team’s Medical Services expressed surprise and annoyance in an official statement, alleging that Barcelona performed the invasive radiofrequency procedure to treat the player’s pubic discomfort without consulting or providing prior communication to the National Team’s medical staff.
Spain can secure direct qualification against Georgia with a victory, or even with a draw if Turkey fail to win their match against Bulgaria in the other group contest. Following Yamal’s departure, De la Fuente decided to call up Jorge De Frutos, a standout performer currently in excellent form with Rayo Vallecano.
Luis de la Fuente comments on the incident
The incident involving the forward took the Spanish National Team coaching staff completely by surprise, as they believe Barcelona acted without consulting or informing them of their intentions regarding Yamal.
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Amid this controversy, the Spain manager indicated that Barcelona should have issued a statement about the situation to avoid misunderstandings. “At least what they intended to do to him should have been communicated. Then they are free to do what they see fit with their player. It is something that is, to say the least, surprising,” De la Fuente explained in an interview with Cadena SER.
However, despite the situation that has traveled throughout the soccer world, the coach insisted he maintains good relations with Barcelona. “Nothing more happened than what was recounted in the RFEF [Spanish Football Federation] statement. The relationships are good. I have a very good relationship with Barcelona, their president, and the board of directors. What is stated in the release is what happened,” he added.
