Spain boss De la Fuente confirms Yamal could start against Turkiye

Lamine Yamal is likely to start Spain's World Cup qualifier against Turkiye on Sunday, after head coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed "there is no discomfort from any player that is important".

The Ballon d'Or nominee impressed as La Roja opened their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria on Thursday, providing an assist for Mikel Merino's header.

However, 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 Saturday, and De la Fuente insisted there are no fitness issues within his party ahead of their trip to Konya.

"I will assess whether there are more or less tired players. There are some blows, discomfort, but not important," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference. "There is no discomfort from any player that is important.

"[Saturday'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 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."