Pau Cubarsí was the revelation of Spanish football last season alongside Lamine Yamal. The two were on Luis de la Fuente’s prelist heading to Germany. However, the center-back stayed in Barcelona. He didn’t expect it, but he didn’t complain. It was a politically easy ruling for the La Roja coach who opted for a list of center backs with his two historic players, Le Normand and Laporte, plus the experience and good form of Nacho, added to the projection and speed of Vivian. The problem is that, at the first opportunity, Laporte was injured. According to the RFEF, he is suffering from “muscular discomfort” and carried out “specific recovery work” this Thursday morning, during Spain’s training session at SV Assen. With Laporte in the infirmary, Nacho warms up.
While Cubarsí’s (17 years old) football turns on at Barça, Laporte’s (30) turns off in the Arab league. “I have been unfair to Cubarsí and fair to those who remain,” De la Fuente justified. Last season, Laporte played 40 games. He missed, however, the last game of his team, Al-Nassr, in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions, as well as the final of the King’s Cup, both due to suspension. He played his last game on May 23. In any case, he joined the Spanish concentration in Rozas on June 5, one day before Nacho, Carvajal and Joselu, Champions of the Champions League on June 1 with Real Madrid.
After returning from Arabia, De la Fuente gave Laporte a few more days of rest. There was no official statement justifying the plant’s delay. It is known that on May 15, his second child was born in Bilbao, and he uploaded it to social networks. Although his competitive pace last season was less demanding than that of his teammates, Laporte did not advance his arrival at the Red team’s training camp in Las Rozas, as three of his teammates did: Dani Olmo (calf discomfort), Pedri (suffered three injuries in the last year) and Zubimendi (has not played since April 26). The three present in Ciudad de Fútbol on May 31.
“It seems to me that Aymeric is in the same shape as his teammates. I have seen him as good as Nacho or Vivian. I am very delighted with all four of them,” commented De la Fuente after Laporte participated for 37 minutes in La Roja’s last friendly before traveling to Germany, against Northern Ireland in Mallorca. “He is perfect to play against Croatia. Whether he plays or not is another thing, but he is in fantastic shape,” concluded the Spanish coach.
Naturalized in 2021, Laporte had become one of the coaches’ favorites. Since he did not fit into the plans of the French national team, Didier Deschamps, Julen Lopetegui asked him for La Roja. His signing was achieved by Luis Enrique, while De la Fuente extended the trust in him. And no one else moved it. In fact, Pau Torres, Eric García and Iñigo Martínez passed behind Spain. But nobody moved Laporte. Until Le Normand arrived and consolidated himself alongside him in the Red defense. It was precisely that pair of centre-backs that De la Fuente had in mind to face Croatia this Saturday (6:00 p.m.) in Berlin.
“I hope he recovers well because he is a very important person and player for us,” asked Dani Olmo this Thursday at the La Roja camp in Germany. With Cubarsí training alone in Girona to be ready for the Games, Spain has another center back in form: Nacho, starter in the last Champions League final at Wembley.
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