Spain’s Nations League Preview: Barcelona's Key Role and Forward Dilemma
Luis de la Fuente’s midfield puzzle has only one likely tweak, and it comes with a familiar face. Fermin Lopez is expected to step back in for Gavi, who will miss Spain’s Nations League opener at Wembley through suspension.
Gavi’s absence is double-edged. He not only sits out the first game in London, he has also lost his starting place at Barcelona after the injury he suffered at the start of La Liga against Elche. His rhythm has been broken, his status slightly shaken.
Yet inside the national team set-up, his standing has not. De la Fuente rates him extremely highly and refuses to close any door on him. Even without a guaranteed starting role at club level, Gavi remains very much in the frame for Spain.
A vacancy in attack
The real uncertainty lies higher up the pitch. Compared with the squad that conquered the World Cup, there is now a clear gap: the third striker.
Mikel Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres are safe. Their tickets are stamped. Behind them, though, the spot once occupied by Borja Iglesias is wide open. Iglesias began the season struggling with a soleus muscle problem and has barely featured, leaving his national-team place exposed.
That has energised a pack of hungry forwards. Sergio Camello, Roberto, Espi and Gonzalo are all pushing hard, each of them sensing that this is the kind of opening that does not come around often. One of them could find himself catapulted into a Nations League campaign if De la Fuente opts for fresh legs and fearless minds.
Tight list, heavy schedule
UEFA has tightened the margins. Only 23 players can be registered for the group stage of the UEFA Nations League, down from the 26 allowed in the final round. The room for experiments is smaller; the stakes for each selection are higher.
Yet the calendar refuses to ease up. Spain will play four matches in this window, which almost forces rotation. De la Fuente is expected to stretch the squad as far as the rules allow, leaning on depth to keep intensity high from London to Split.
Barcelona as the backbone
One thing looks certain: Barcelona will again form the backbone of this Spain side. Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Rodri and Lamine Yamal are all essentially locked into the squad. That core gives Spain a familiar technical profile and a clear identity on the ball.
And there could be more. Gavi and Fermin Lopez are both in contention to join that group, with Xavi Espart also in the conversation. If all three make it, Spain could head into the Nations League with as many as 10 Barcelona players in the squad – a throwback to eras when the national team leaned heavily on the Catalan club’s dressing room for leadership and style.
A demanding opening run
The schedule is unforgiving from the first whistle. Spain open their UEFA Nations League campaign against England at Wembley on 26 September, a stage that will immediately test De la Fuente’s choices in midfield and up front.
Three days later, Croatia arrive in Seville on 29 September, bringing another high-level examination of Spain’s new-look spine. Then comes a trip north to Oviedo to face the Czech Republic on 3 October, a fixture that could invite rotation and opportunities for those fighting for minutes.
Spain close out this window in Split on 6 October, facing Croatia again in what could be a decisive clash in the group. By then, the answers to today’s selection questions – Gavi’s role, Fermin’s impact, the identity of that third striker, and the true weight of Barcelona’s influence – may start to define not just a squad list, but the direction of Spain’s next cycle.
