De la Fuente believes Yamal will be a legend

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La Roja remains top of UEFA Nations League Group A3 with maximum points after three games, having held off a second-half fightback from Czechia to win 3-1 in Oviedo.

First-half goals from Barcelona duo Yamal and Rodri put Spain in a commanding position, although Czechia later had them on the ropes after Jiri Slama's goal, only for Ladislav Krejci's red card and a late strike from Mikel Merino to end any comeback hopes.

Yamal's opening goal was a trademark left-footed curler from the right corner of the area, after he exchanged passes with club-mate Dani Olmo, and De La Fuente was visibly stunned on the sidelines after it went in.

Asked if he was ever surprised by Yamal's production in his post-match press conference, De la Fuente said: "He never ceases to amaze us all.

"He is so talented, there is much more to see of the best version of Lamine.

"He is growing by leaps and bounds. He is a reference for the national team, a player with great weight, and we have to celebrate him."

Asked about Yamal's Ballon d'Or prospects, with a little more than three weeks left before the award ceremony in London, De la Fuente added: "If he were the only Spaniard among the nominees, I would tell him that he is the best in the world.

"He does everything well. If he is not the best because of competition with other Spaniards, he is one of the best. But he is on the way to being a legendary player."

Yamal was one of two players to be substituted at half-time, alongside Alex Baena, with De la Fuente looking to keep his attackers fresh ahead of Wednesday's (AEDT) trip to Croatia.

But De la Fuente insists it was necessary to manage the winger's load, saying: "We take care of Lamine exactly the same as the other players.

"We do not make a distinction. We take care of everyone equally.

"We thought that the game would go in a different direction, but we wanted to take away some minutes from his load, so that he could stay in the best condition."