For fear of last season's scenario: will De la Fuente give in to pressure from Lamine Yamal?
Lamine Yamal is living through one of the finest moments of his short but trophy-laden career. Yet the young Barcelona star does not want to leave any detail to chance as he stands on the brink of his biggest crowning achievement.
Voting has now closed for the Ballon d'Or, which will be presented in London on 26 October. The Catalan side's winger insists that what sets him apart from his rivals is the shirt of the Spanish national team.
Yamal has been Spain's busiest player during the current international break, the only one to start all three matches against England, Croatia and the Czech Republic. He scored four goals and racked up 203 minutes, more than any other player, ahead of Rodri on 185.
His determination to play every minute stems from a lesson learned last season, when injury and fatigue cost him a string of qualifying matches and robbed him of a continuous presence with the national team at a decisive stage.
Will he rest against Croatia?
One question now grips the Spanish public: should Luis de la Fuente start Lamine against Croatia on Tuesday, or hand him a rest given he is the only player to have featured in every match?
On the radio programme "El Bar" on "Cadena SER", presented by Siqui Rodríguez and Luis Flaquer, Jofre Mateu offered his view: "At this level, it is time to start managing things, because the four matches with the national team will be very demanding."
He went on: "There is a run of important matches coming up, so I understand they will take everything into account and will hold talks with Barcelona."
Inside the football city in Las Rozas, where Anton Meana followed the final training session before the trip to Split, the picture looks different. Meana reckons Lamine is on the pitch because he wants to play. He trusts himself and wants football fans to see what he is capable of in the thick of the Ballon d'Or race.
What sets Yamal apart from Mbappé and Kane
De la Fuente should start him against Croatia to seal a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League, Meana believes, then substitute him if the match goes well.
He added: "As the best player in the world, what sets Lamine apart is his belonging to the Spanish national team. Winning the European Championship and the World Cup puts him at the top. What sets him apart from Mbappé, Kane and Olise is that he plays for a team that has won both of those titles."
His closing analysis to the radio summed up the player's mentality: "He is fully aware of what the national team gives him. Playing for Spain strengthens his standing internationally, and he cannot repeat what happened last year, when he missed many of the qualifying matches."
The message from a star not yet 18 is clear. The Ballon d'Or may be decided in a Spain shirt, and he does not intend to be absent again.
