Spain are competing in the Euro 2024 final against England, eyeing a record-breaking fourth European Championship title.
But Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, far and away the most convincing outfit at this summer’s tournament, are without one of their key players in Barcelona star Pedri, who suffered a devastating injury against Germany.
Pedri started all three of Spain’s group-stage victories over Croatia, Italy and Georgia but lasted just eight minutes of his country’s quarter-final win over the tournament hosts.
The 21-year-old, widely regarded as one of the finest young midfielders in European football, was clattered by Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and initially attempted to continue before limping off in some discomfort.
While making his way off the pitch, Pedri appeared on the verge of tears and his Spanish team-mates tried their best to console their fellow countryman, while De la Fuente was left aghast at the decision not to even book Kroos for the challenge.
It subsequently emerged that Pedri would be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament with a ligament injury in his left knee but the Barca youngster decided to remain in camp with the rest of De La Fuente’s party.
‘Following tests, Pedri has a grade two sprain in the medial collateral ligament of his left knee. The player will remain with his team mates until the end of the current training camp, which is focused on the Euro 2024,’the Spanish FA (RFEF) said in a statement last weekend.
Kroos, who played his last ever game in Germany’s quarter-final defeat, later apologised to Pedri and stressed that it was never his ‘intention’ to cause injury.
‘I would like to say something very important: I apologise to Pedri and hope he feels better soon!’ Kroos said.
‘It was obviously not my intention to hurt you. I wish you a speedy recovery and all the best. You are a great player.’
Facing the media on the eve of the final, Spain head coach De la Fuente passed on his support and gratitude to Ayoze Perez, Gavi and Pedri, who have all been ruled out through injury.
‘I don’t know if I will have the chance later but I want to say something,’ De la Fuente told reporters.
‘Of course, I want to thank the great job that two players have done. Pedri, who unfortunately got injured. Plus, Ayoze Perez, who had a problem in the first game and has been working really hard and almost made it. But unfortunately he is not going to be able to play with us.
‘Gavi is going to be with the squad. He is coming here to support us because, as you know, he’s recovering from injury.’
De la Fuente said he would not be straying away from the same ‘idea’ and ‘game-plan’ that got Spain all the way to the final this summer.
‘We are convinced that if we are here and how we have gone through this tournament, it’s because we have been faithful to our game-plan, to our idea, to our philosophy,’ he added.
‘We will keep being faithful to that idea, loyal to that idea, because that idea will give us chances to play against a team like England that hasn’t lost.
‘But we need to stick to our idea, our game-plan and it’s my responsibility to convey that confidence to my players. That is the important thing, that is the process.
‘Be yourself, be convinced of who you are, be confident of who you are and try to be as unsurprised as possible about our opponents.’
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