Spain dealt significant World Cup blow as 20-goal striker suffers ACL tear injury

Aghehowa was forced off at half-time in the top-of-the-table clash with Sporting CP in the Liga Portugal on Monday night, a contest that ended in a 1-1 draw. Porto said in a statement the following day that the centre-forward had sprained his knee and suffered an ACL injury, while it has been reported that he has torn the ligament, meaning he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Porto's statement said: "Samu, who was substituted at half-time in the match against Sporting (1-1), suffered a sprained right knee with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Spanish international will be re-evaluated by FC Porto's medical department in the coming days."

While there is the slim possibility that Samu could recover before the World Cup gets underway on June 11, it's far more likely that he faces an extended period of around a year out of action, which would obviously rule him out of Spain's plans for the summer tournament. The 21-year-old has 47 goals in 77 appearances for Porto and, while he may not have been a starter, would have been a useful asset for La Roja in North America.

The European champions will now have to make alternative plans for their back-up striker role. Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal has been their starting No.9 during their World Cup qualifiers and 2025 Nations League campaign. De la Fuente doesn't have many other in-form options, with veteran Alvaro Morata, Celta Vigo's Borja Iglesias and Jorge de Frutos of Rayo Vallecanos those available to him.