De la Fuente confirms Yamal could start for Spain
Lamine Yamal is likely to start Spain's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkiye on Monday (AEST) despite doubts over a back injury for the Barcelona star.
The Ballon d'Or nominee impressed as La Roja opened its campaign with a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria on Friday (AEST), providing an assist for Mikel Merino's header.
But Yamal appeared to be nursing a back issue during the game, with reports suggesting he could withdraw from the squad.
Nevertheless, the Barcelona forward trained on Sunday (AEST), and De la Fuente insisted there are no fitness issues within his squad ahead of its trip to Konya.
"I will assess whether there are more or less tired players. There are some blows, discomfort, but not important," he said.
"There is no discomfort from any player that is important.
"[Sunday's] training is very important. We haven't decided the starting XI yet; we need to consider many details.
"I have the luck, pride, and privilege to coach, in my opinion, the best footballers in the world. There are many areas we need to improve to keep progressing."
De la Fuente also took the opportunity to praise the in-form Mikel Oyarzabal, as well as skipper Alvaro Morata.
Real Sociedad forward Oyarzabal, who scored Spain's winner against England in the UEFA Euro 2024 final, has found the net four times in as many appearances for La Roja, including the opener against Bulgaria.
"He is a very reliable player. Like his team-mates, he is ready to play in multiple positions," the head coach said.
"I'm very calm because, whoever plays up front, we have players of fantastic quality."
On Morata, he added: "Alvaro is very important to us; he is our captain and deserves all the affection of the country. I'm proud to have players like Alvaro Morata in this squad."
