BARCELONA’S TEEN striker Ansu Fati returns to national duty with Spain for the first time in nearly two years after coach Luis Enrique named him on Monday in his squad for the upcoming round of Nations League matches.
Spain play Portugal on 2 June followed by two games against the Czech Republic and one against Switzerland.
Fati, 19, made his international debut in August 2020, becoming Spain’s youngest ever goalscorer at the age of 17 when he netted against Ukraine.
He was out of action for almost a year after that with a knee injury, returning in September 2021.
He was injured again on 20 January and missed over three months of this season with a thigh injury before returning to Barcelona colours on 1 May.
Enrique also recalled Fati’s Barca teammate Sergio Busquets, who was rested during the last international window in March.
There are recalls too for Thiago Alcantara, although he went off injured in Liverpool’s final Premier League game on Sunday and Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio.
Pedri and Mikel Oyarzabal, however, are both absent through injury.
Spain, runners-up in the Nations League last October after a 2-1 loss to France, are aiming to qualify again for the four-team finals, which will take place in June 2023.
Spain squad for Nations League matches:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao/ESP), Robert Sanchez (Brighton/ENG), David Raya (Brentford/ENG)
Defenders: Inigo Martínez (Athletic Bilbao/ESP), Marcos Alonso (Chelsea/ENG), Jordi Alba (Barcelona/ESP), Eric García (Barcelona/ESP), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City/ENG), Pau Torres (Villarreal/ESP), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea/ENG), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid/ESP)
Midfielders: Rodrigo Hernandez (Manchester City/ENG), Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool/ENG), Koke (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona/ESP), Pablo Martin Paez Gaviria ‘Gavi’ (Barcelona/ESP), Carlos Soler (Valencia/ESP)
Forwards: Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig/GER), Pablo Sarabia (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Alvaro Morata (Juventus/ITA), Raul de Tomas (Espanyol/ESP), Ansu Fati(Barcelona/ESP), Ferran Torres (Barcelona/ESP), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid/ESP)
