With the relatively good last month that Juan Mata has been getting with Manchester United despite not getting the collective results he expects, Spain manager Julen Lopetegui has called him up for the upcoming two matches that will be played in November. The first one is a World Cup Qualifier against Macedonia and the next one is a trip to England to face the Three Lions in a friendly match. This will be the last international break of 2016 for everyone.
Lopetegui was sorry they have so many absentees due to injuries: "We have a lot of absences and we can't stop to mourn them. They are what they are and we can't change them. Some of the players are certainties but we have questions about how they will compete. The second game is a friendly and it allows us to make other decisions, especially if we need to cover any possible casualties."
About 35-year-old Aduriz's call-up, Lopetegui left clear that age is not an issue, which opens a new opportunity for David Villa in the future as well: "There is no problem if a player is of one age or another. Villa is in another league and he's at a good level. He's competitive and making a difference, but we have the three strikers. I will not close the door to anyone. We'll make decisions based on what we see and how we feel."
Spain squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Pepe Reina (Napoli), David De Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Asenjo (Villarreal).
Defenders: Nacho (Real Madrid). Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund), Inigo Martinez (Real Sociedad), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Sergio Escudero (Sevilla), Sergi Roberto (Barcelona).
Midfielders: Ander Herrera (Manchester United), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Isco (Real Madrid), Thiago (Bayern Munich), David Silva (Manchester City), Juan Mata (Manchester United), Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid), Jose Callejon (Napoli), Vitolo (Sevilla).
Forwards: Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Chelsea), Nolito (Manchester City), Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao).
Photo credit: Manchester United FC
Concluye la conferencia de prensa de @julenlopetegui. ¡Estos son los convocados! #SEFlive pic.twitter.com/AW3OHGL6JV
— Selección Española (@SeFutbol) 4 de noviembre de 2016