Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that star attacker Lamin Yamál will not start against Cabo Verde in Group H's opening match. "Lamín is in excellent form, he arrived at the squad when we wanted him to, he feels very good, as do all the others who returned after injuries. But these players [Nico Williams, Lamin Yamál and Víctor Muñoz] will not start tomorrow. We'll see later if they come on during the game," de la Fuente told RMC Sport.
Yamál, 17, recently returned from a hamstring injury that had threatened his World Cup participation. Williams and Muñoz also recovered from recent fitness issues in time for the tournament.
De la Fuente's decision reflects careful fitness management ahead of Spain's Group H campaign alongside Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, with the possibility of introducing the trio from the bench if needed during play.
Betting impact: Yamál's benching removes Spain's youngest attacking talent from the starting XI, a consideration for markets pricing the team's opening-match goals and odds against Cabo Verde.
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