De La Fuente confirms Lamine Yamal WON'T start against Cape Verde

Lamine Yamal will not start against Cape Verde, announces De La Fuente

Lamine Yamal, who has recovered from a thigh injury in time, is fit but will not start Monday's match against Cape Verde for his World Cup debut, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente announced on Sunday.

"The best news is that Lamine is in great shape, he has prepared very well and is training very well, just like Nico (Williams) and VDctor (MuF1oz). He is available, even if he won't start the match, we'll see how the game unfolds," said De la Fuente.

"He is ready to play tomorrow without any problem. Not for 90 minutes, but to come on at some point, he is in perfect condition to play a few minutes. If that weren't the case, he wouldn't even be on the bench," he added in response to a second question about the 18-year-old prodigy, who hasn't played since April 22.

Asked about Spain's status as favorites, the coach did not want to answer directly: "What does that mean in sports? It puts you among the potential contenders, but only one can win... I value it because it pays tribute to the exceptional journey of some players. I had never seen a World Cup with so many real contenders to win it," he added, while still stating that La Roja has the "best midfield in the world".

On Monday, Spain will make their World Cup debut in Atlanta against Cape Verde. "The first match helps build confidence. It's important mentally; since the tournament is very long, it's good to gain confidence," said 1lex Baena earlier in the day at Kennesaw University, in the Atlanta suburbs, where La Roja held their final full training session before Monday's match (16:00 GMT).

For Mikel Merino, who is back to 100% after a foot injury that kept him off the pitch for the second half of the season, "the players are very motivated and, physically, we have prepared very well. We have arrived in the best possible condition, but the most important thing in these tournaments is the mental aspect," emphasized the Arsenal midfielder.