Del Bosque calls up forward Rodrigo for Euro qualifiers
Posted Saturday, October 04, 2014 by YAHOO Sport
MADRID, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called up forward Rodrigo for the first time for the holders' Euro 2016 qualifiers away to Slovakia and Luxembourg next week.
Brazil-born Rodrigo, 23, who played for Real Madrid and Spain at youth level and is a cousin of Bayern Munich's Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara, has just started a one-year loan at Valencia from Benfica.
He holds the record for the fastest hat-trick for Spain, scored in a five-minute spell in an under-21 game against Denmark in October 2012.
Del Bosque also selected Chelsea striker Diego Costa despite recent suggestions from manager Jose Mourinho that he needed to limit his playing time due to injury problems.
Spain, who will be chasing a third consecutive continental crown in France in two years' time, opened their qualifying campaign with a 5-1 success at home to Macedonia.
They play Slovakia in Zilina on Oct. 9 and take on Luxembourg in Luxembourg City three days later. Group C also includes Ukraine and Belarus.
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