De la Fuente targets 13th straight win as Yamal declared ready for England

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente says his side will play for victory rather than settle for a draw against England on Sunday, with the result deciding who tops their group and hosts the second leg of their Nations League quarter-final in March.

“We will not go into the match looking for a draw,” De la Fuente said. “We have won 12 matches in a row and want the next victory to be number 13. We are thinking only about winning, and you know how much I love the number 13.”

Spain’s coach said his team had created “a special era” and were currently the side with the longest unbeaten run in world football. However, he insisted they remained focused on improving.

“We are not satisfied with what we have achieved,” he said. “We have an obsession that every next match should feel like our last. There is still huge room for improvement.”

De la Fuente confirmed that Alejandro Grimaldo would miss the day’s activities after suffering a viral illness, although he said the rest of the squad was in excellent condition.

Five players will be left out of the matchday squad because only 23 of the 28 players in camp can be selected.

“It is about sporting calculations,” he said. “Everyone understands that beforehand and we treat it as completely normal. The most uncomfortable part is telling them that tonight, but they accept it naturally and with complete respect.”

Yamal fit to face England

De la Fuente also rejected suggestions that he had been angry over Lamine Yamal’s availability, saying his frustration was related only to a lack of honesty.

“I was not angry,” he said. “What bothers me is not telling the truth. I do not like lies, or a lack of credibility and truth.”

Yamal is now fully recovered and available to play. De la Fuente joked that his selection would reveal whether he had been picked to start, but added that a place in the starting line-up would confirm the teenager was ready.

“Yamal is in great shape,” he said. “He has recovered perfectly. Yesterday, he and Mikel Oyarzabal received a wonderful welcome. I am very happy that things worked out this way.”

The Spain manager said Yamal had benefited from avoiding two journeys and staying away from the cold weather. “He is ready to play without any problem at all,” he added.

De la Fuente described the meeting with England as one of the best matches to watch in world football, saying neither team could simply reproduce the other’s style.

“Spain cannot play the way England play, and England cannot play the way we play in Spain,” he said.

He said opponents were increasingly motivated to face the World Cup holders, while insisting the differences between England, France and Portugal were extremely small. “Any of them can beat you,” he said. “There are no differences between the leading teams in the FIFA rankings.”

Responding to Thomas Tuchel’s warning about using the anti-racism protocol, De la Fuente said: “You can tell Tuchel that there is no racism in Spain. We are not racist, exactly as is the case in England.”

He also said England’s 60-year wait for an international title should not be confused with the value of their players, arguing that Spanish players were often bought for half the price of players in England.

Fermin Lopez, yet to score for Spain, was described as “an exceptional player” who offers solutions, penalty-area runs and attacking depth.