A press report on Wednesday revealed a striking incident involving the Spain national team during the international break, with Barcelona star Lamine Yamal at its centre.
Spain booked their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with four straight wins, and Yamal featured in every one of them.
According to the newspaper "AS", head coach Luis de la Fuente broke a promise he had made to himself during this international break, and Yamal was the reason.
Before the Croatia match, the coach had vowed that no Spain player would clock up more than 270 minutes over the course of the break.
Yamal blew that promise apart. He started all four matches and returned to Barcelona having played 281 minutes, and that figure does not include stoppage time.
The Ballon d'Or candidate never asked to come off, not even in the earlier games. Against Croatia he failed to score or set one up, yet he still ran Josko Gvardiol ragged, getting the better of the Manchester City defender in the first half before Gvardiol clawed his way back into the contest.
Player health is a priority de la Fuente has flagged up more than once. That is despite several Spanish players being forced home during this international break with physical problems: Ferran Torres, Grimaldo, Nico Williams and Barcelona's Eric Garcia.
Pedri defends Yamal
Pedri leapt to the defence of his Barcelona teammate after a match that left Yamal visibly frustrated at the chances he had squandered: "He put in another great performance. He lacked precision, that technical touch he showed in the previous matches. He gets very angry when he plays well and wastes those chances we saw him create. Yes, he went to the bench a little upset".
"He is a very ambitious player, he always strives to score, and he always wants to contribute to the team," Pedri added. "Even if he does not score or provide assists, he offers a lot because he draws the attention of many players. He is a player who changes the course of the match and gives us a lot, and fortunately he is with us in the national team and at Barcelona".
The numbers back him up, drought against Croatia aside. The Ballon d'Or candidate opened the scoring against England, bagged two in the win over Croatia, struck again against the Czech Republic in Oviedo and laid on an assist at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.