Spain have been dealt a fresh blow ahead of their eagerly awaited clash with England, after Alex Grimaldo left the team's training camp in Las Rozas due to a fever, ruling him out of head coach Luis de la Fuente's plans for the upcoming match.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed that they had dropped the left-back from the squad. He has returned home to rest and shake off the flu after failing to continue training with his team-mates.
According to the Spanish federation, Grimaldo left the camp on Saturday once symptoms appeared during his spell with the national team. The coaching staff chose not to keep him with the group out of concern for his health.
His exit comes just before the clash with England, robbing De la Fuente of one of his left-back options and leaving him to make do with the players already in the squad.
The Bayer Leverkusen man couldn't finish the final session after Luis de la Fuente told him to stop training because of his condition.
Medical staff then assessed Grimaldo and monitored him closely before the call was made to send him home to carry on his recovery away from group training.
De la Fuente won't draft in a replacement to cover the gap. Spain will push on with their preparations using the current squad.
Marc Cucurella has emerged as the frontrunner to start at left-back against England, with Grimaldo out and no fresh face coming in.
My story with soccer began when I was just a toddler, a little boy who didn’t fully understand what he was watching, but the magic emanating from the fields was too powerful to resist. I clearly remember following the Egyptian national team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where my eyes were filled with wonder at the dramatic moments, and my heart was immersed in a sea of endless excitement. That was the beginning, the spark that ignited a passion that still burns today.
In the vault of my sporting memories, there are moments that will never fade. But if I had to choose just one, it would undoubtedly be Zinedine Zidane’s immortal goal in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen. A single ball, a rocket from “Zizou’s” left foot, flew in a mesmerizing arc to find the back of the net, securing Real Madrid’s ninth title. It was a moment when time stood still—a blend of beauty and power—reminding us that soccer is not just a game, but an art that touches the soul.
As for my all-time favorite lineup? It’s really tough—it’s like choosing among the stars in the sky. Here it is: (Goalkeeper) Gianluigi Buffon… (Defense): Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini… (Midfield): Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makélélé, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta... (Forward): Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo “The Phenomenon.”
