De la Fuente confident Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will be fit for World Cup

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente says he expects key wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams to recover in time for the FIFA World Cup next month, despite recent injury setbacks affecting both players.

Yamal, 18, of Moroccan descent has been sidelined since late April with a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the remainder of Barcelona’s season.

However, the club maintains he should regain fitness ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Williams of Athletic Bilbao and of Ghanaian heritage picked up a muscle injury over the weekend, adding to Spain’s growing list of fitness concerns.

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino is also unavailable after sustaining a fractured foot three months ago.

“I think that all the players who have been mentioned will be fit and available for the start of the World Cup and I believe for the first match,” De la Fuente told journalists.

“But if it’s not for the first match, it would be for the second or third, and it doesn’t cause any major setbacks,” the Spanish coach continued, adding it had been “a very tough year in terms of injuries”.

“The world of injuries, which is the tragedy of sport, is what truly keeps us under a lot of pressure, especially in this critical phase because injuries that occur from now on, any minor muscular injury, are really difficult to recover from,” he added.

De la Fuente also confirmed Spain will submit a 26-man squad for the tournament, with additional players set to feature in a friendly against Iraq on June 4 as part of final preparations.

Spain will open their World Cup campaign on June 15 in Atlanta against Cape Verde, with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia completing their group.