Morocco's group: son of Real Madrid legend officially absent from Spain at the U17 World Cup

The substitute was brought on

Spain's youth national team have suffered a major blow just days before the start of the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Real Madrid's Enzo Alves limped out of the clash between the royal club's Juvenil A side and Rayo Vallecano's Juvenil A, forced off by a serious injury.

According to the newspaper "Marca", Enzo Alves will not take part in the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.

The son of Brazilian and Real Madrid legend Marcelo has been nursing a muscle injury since his last outing for the club, and it has cost him his place in the squad. Guillermo Trujillano, a graduate of the Atletico Madrid youth academy, comes in as his replacement.

Early examinations pointed to a recovery period of around two weeks. That stretches beyond Spain's opener against China on the twentieth of this month.

Coach David Cubillo had named Enzo Alves and Yeremay as his only two strikers, but Yeremay, another Real Madrid player, is being handled with care after more than a month out injured.

Spain expect him to be fit for the start of the tournament, yet carrying two strikers in doubt always loomed as a significant risk in the group stage. Other attacking options exist, such as Roberto Tomas, who can play as an out-and-out striker.

Spain will play the group stage in Qatar, where they face China in their first match on 20 November, with their second match against Fiji on 23 November, while Morocco will be their final opponent in the group stage.