Lamine Yamal announced himself on the World Cup stage in the game against Saudi Arabia by scoring the first goal to set Spain’s World Cup off with a 4-0 victory. He played 45 minutes and was substituted at half time when the game was effectively won.
Lionel Messi, Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe have certainly lit this World Cup, is it now Yamal’s turn
Is Lamine Yamal expected to play for Spain tonight?
The Barcelona winger is expected to feature against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, but uncertainty remains over whether he will start or be introduced from the bench. The 18-year-old is still carefully building up his minutes as he returns from injury, and Luis de la Fuente will be mindful of managing his workload accordingly.
More than the 45 minutes he was given last time out, but an hour for Yamal would almost certainly point towards a start. Spain conclude their group campaign against Uruguay at the Estadio Guadalajara, with two Spanish-speaking nations meeting in Mexico’s second city stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 02:00 GMT.
Spain's attacking threat options
After surprisingly drawing a blank against Cape Verde, Spain’s attacking trio will be keen to rediscover their cutting edge against Uruguay, much as they did against Saudi Arabia.
Luis de la Fuente has plenty of options to choose from in the forward line, though Lamine Yamal is the one name most fans will be demanding from the start. On the left, Nico Williams remains the preferred choice among La Roja supporters, although Álex Baena is pushing hard for minutes of his own.
Through the middle, Spain have the flexibility to rotate, but the movement and instinct of Barcelona target Mikel Oyarzabal offer a compelling option up front. He has already shown his value across the opening two matches, particularly the most recent outing, scoring two goals.
Left wing | Centre-forward | Right-wing |
|---|---|---|
Nico Williams | Ferran Torres | Lamine Yamal |
Alex Baena | Mikel Oyazabal | Yeremy Pino |
Gavi | Borja Iglesias | Victor Munoz |
Mikel Merino |
Spain team news
Spain's only injury concern is new Liverpool winger Víctor Muñoz, who is continuing his recovery and remains a doubt for the clash with Uruguay. Nico Williams, meanwhile, is being eased back to full fitness alongside his Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal and could be handed his first start of the tournament.
Pedri is the only Spain player walking a suspension tightrope, with another yellow card ruling him out of a potential Round of 32 tie. That could persuade Luis de la Fuente to rest the midfielder, while also giving valuable minutes to several outfield players who have yet to feature at this World Cup. Eric García, Alejandro Grimaldo, Martín Zubimendi and Borja Iglesias are all candidates to make an appearance from the bench, or even stake a claim for a place in the starting XI.
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