Lamine Yamal fit to start on bench for Spain vs Cape Verde at World Cup

Spain's World Cup campaign begins with a cautious approach to player fitness, as coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed winger Lamine Yamal is ready to play but will only be introduced from the bench if the match against Cape Verde dictates.

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The good news is that Lamine is very fit.

Yamal, who has been sidelined since April with groin and hamstring injuries, has completed his recovery. "The good news is that Lamine is very fit," De la Fuente told reporters. "He’s following the set process, and he’s in good shape. He’s training very well, just like his other colleagues who had some sort of injury."

Nico Williams and Victor Munoz also return to fitness, but their participation will be managed. "They’re all available, but they won’t be able to play from the start of the match," the coach explained. "We’ll have to wait and see how the game progresses, and then we’ll make a decision on how they can contribute to the team. It’s a matter of logic, of how the game is evolving, the game situation."

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He’s following the set process, and he’s in good shape. He’s training very well, just like his other colleagues who had some sort of injury.

Despite Spain being strong favorites, De la Fuente emphasized respect for their debutant opponents. "If you haven’t watched them play yet, you’ll see tomorrow," he warned. "Tactically, they are a very well-structured team, and they develop those tactical concepts very well. Their players are very powerful from a physical point of view. They’re very fast, and they knocked out Cameroon."

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They’re all available, but they won’t be able to play from the start of the match. We’ll have to wait and see how the game progresses, and then we’ll make a decision on how they can contribute to the team.

"They might be one of the teams springing a surprise in this World Cup, and the match tomorrow will require us to perform to our best, and it will be a struggle for sure, even if we win," De la Fuente added. "The public, everyone, will discover tomorrow what they can do."

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If you haven’t watched them play yet, you’ll see tomorrow. Tactically, they are a very well-structured team, and they develop those tactical concepts very well. Their players are very powerful from a physical point of view. They’re very fast, and they knocked out Cameroon.