Jacobo's in, Barca stars out! De la Fuente drops Spanish squad bombshell for England showdown
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has announced a 27-man squad for the final two UEFA Nations League group matches against the Czech Republic and England. Como defender Jacobo Ramon earns a surprise call-up, while physical issues rule out a trio of key Barcelona players.
De la Fuente names 27-man squad for crucial double-header
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has unveiled his 27-man national team squad for the final two UEFA Nations League group stage fixtures. La Roja visit the Czech Republic in Prague on Thursday, 12 November, before hosting England at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, 15 November.
Having won all four matches in the previous international window, the reigning European and Nations League champions have already guaranteed their place in the quarter-finals.
However, De la Fuente's side are still fighting to secure top spot in Group A3 to gain home advantage for the second leg of the March quarter-final tie, while protecting their 43-match unbeaten streak in official fixtures.
Jacobo Ramon gets shock call-up amidst Barcelona injury blow
The headline inclusion in De la Fuente's selection is Como centre-back Jacobo Ramon, who earns a maiden senior call-up to reinforce the defensive line alongside Pau Cubarsi, Dean Huijsen, and Aymeric Laporte.
Conversely, injuries have opened the door for squad rotation. A trio of Barcelona regulars—Eric Garcia, Dani Olmo, and Rodri—miss out as they continue their respective recoveries.
The defensive and goalkeeping ranks receive a boost through the returns of Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro and Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, both of whom recovered from physical issues that ruled them out of the previous window.
Full 27-man squad breakdown for November fixtures
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia, Alvaro Valles.
Defenders: Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Pubill, Dean Huijsen, Pedro Porro, Jacobo Ramon, Marc Cucurella, Alex Grimaldo.
Midfielders: Fabian Ruiz, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, Alex Baena, Fermin Lopez, Pablo Barrios, Marc Roca.
Forwards: Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Roberto Fernandez, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Ander Barrenetxea.
Group leadership and FIFA ranking state at stake
Despite securing early qualification for the knockout rounds, Spain face two high-stakes tests to round off their group campaign. Holding a three-point lead over England at the top of the group, La Roja aim to build on their previous 3-2 victory over the Three Lions at Wembley.
Additionally, maintaining positive results against the Czechs and English remains vital for preserving Spain's position as the world's number one team in the official FIFA rankings.
The squad gathers for their training camp at the Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas on Monday, 9 November, before departing for Prague.
