Today, coach Luis De La Fuente announced Spain's EURO 2024 squad. Several Blaugrana players, like Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Pedri Gonzalez, have been included in the trip to Germany. However, young center-back Pau Cubarsi has been dropped from the initial 29-man squad, meaning Cubarsi will have to wait for some time before playing in his first international tournament for La Roja.
The 17-year-old, Atletico's Marcos Llorente, and Girona's Aleix Garcia are the three players discarded from the initial provisional 29-member squad. This means the defender will most likely feature in the Paris Olympic Games starting on July 24.
Cubarsi to miss the Preseason
Barcelona is scheduled to play Manchester City, Real Madrid, and AC Milan during this duration.
Thus, it looks increasingly likely that Cubarsi will miss the upcoming preseason tour to the US. This season has been frustrating for Barcelona on and off the pitch. The Catalans ended their underwhelming season without a trophy and recently brought in new manager Hansi Flick to replace Xavi.
With their Clasico rivals winning La Liga and the Champions League and adding Kylian Mbappe to their squad, which boasts superstars like Vini Jr. and Bellingham, Barca can't afford to start the new season without one of their top prospects.
Pau Cubarsi has been rock solid at the back since his debut following Jules Kounde's injury. The Spaniard has formed a real-life center-back partnership with Ronald Araujo. In the second leg against Napoli, the youngster won the Champions League MOTM for his defensive heroics.
Featuring in 24 matches towards the end of the season, the Spaniard has earned the club's trust.
At 17, the sky is the limit for the young defender, but his workload must be balanced to avoid any long-term injuries. As for now, if he does end up missing the preseason, Hansi Flick may go to Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde to lead the defense.