Tue Oct 15 20:42:14 UTC 2024: ## Spain Confident Despite Absences Ahead of Serbia Clash in Nations League
**Gdansk, Poland** – Spain coach Luis De la Fuente remains optimistic about his team’s chances against Serbia in their Nations League clash on Tuesday, despite a growing list of absentees.
The latest setback came with the withdrawal of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal due to a left hamstring strain. While De la Fuente acknowledged Yamal’s irreplaceable talent, he expressed confidence in the replacements. “We have to play eleven, and whoever replaces him will want to make a statement,” he said.
The European champions will be without seven key players who featured in the Euro 2024 final against England. In addition to Yamal, Nico Williams is out with an injury, and Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Rodri, and Dani Olmo were not called up due to injuries.
“They are (too) irreplaceable, each one brings different things to the table,” De la Fuente stated. “But we are lucky that this is a national team, and the best players come here.” He also emphasized that the players present are “very good” and capable of filling the void left by those missing.
Despite the challenges, De la Fuente expects a difficult match against Serbia. “It will be a very difficult match because Serbia need to get a good result tomorrow,” he said, highlighting the opponent’s strong performance in the European leagues and their tactical prowess.
Serbia, currently third in the League A4 standings with four points, is coming off a 2-0 victory against Switzerland. The match will require Spain to be “mature and hardworking” to secure a positive result.
Spain currently tops the group with seven points after victories against Switzerland and Denmark. The clash against Serbia will be a crucial test for De la Fuente’s team, as they aim to maintain their lead in the group and secure a successful Nations League campaign.
First Piper 