MADRID, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed after his side's 2-2 draw in the Netherlands that he will call up Lazio central defender Mario Gila into his squad for Sunday's return leg of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal.
An injury-time goal from Mikel Merino and Nico Williams' early opener gave Spain a draw in Rotterdam, but the game also saw Pau Cubarsi forced out injured in the first half, with 19-year-old Dean Huijsen making his international debut against the country of his birth.
De la Fuente told the press that Cubarsi's injury "doesn't look to be serious and he could be available for Sunday."
However, De la Fuente added that he would call up Gila, adding that fellow center-back Robin Le Normand had also suffered "a heavy knock."
Cubarsi's injury comes with Spain already without injured defenders Aymeric Laporte and Daniel Vivian, while Barcelona's Inigo Martinez was forced out of the squad with a swollen knee.
24-year-old Gila is a product of the Espanyol and Real Madrid youth system, but is relatively unknown to Spain after joining Lazio in 2022 following two brief appearances for Real Madrid.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick will be worried about Cubarsi's injury, because the club's Uruguayan central defender Ronald Araujo is on international duty, with his team playing Bolivia next Tuesday, two days before Barcelona faces Osasuna in a La Liga game that was postponed from earlier in the month.
If Cubarsi and Martinez fail to recover in the coming week, Barcelona may face a defensive crisis for that match. ■
