La Liga defender’s injury could lead to Real Madrid youngster’s maiden Spain call-up | OneFootball

After a long break, the Spanish national team will return to action this month, taking on the Netherlands in the two-legged UEFA Nations League quarterfinal.

Heading into this international break, there is much excitement and chatter around Luis de la Fuente, who is yet to release the final squad list.

The biggest talking point has been Raul Asencio and whether or not he will receive a maiden call-up to the national team.

Big boost for Asencio

Spain has no shortage of quality defenders, which is why Raul Asencio’s potential inclusion in the team has remained a doubt at this point.

However, SPORT reports that the recent injury to Athletic Club centre-back Dani Vivian could serve as a major positive for Asencio.

The report suggests that Vivian’s injury could pave the way for Asencio to finally receive a maiden call-up to the national team.

Raul Asencio has emerged as a key defensive figure for Real Madrid this year (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Vivian picked up an injury in the Europa League match against AS Roma this week, with Athletic Club confirming that he has picked up a moderate injury to his right leg.

With Vivian out of the equation, the road is now clear for Asencio to get into the Spanish team after a series of top performances at Real Madrid.

While Asencio’s prominence place in the Real Madrid team was in doubt due to Carlo Ancelotti’s strategy, the youngster has proven himself to be a reliable option at the heart of the four-man backline.

As such, Asencio has been a regular starter for Real Madrid in the past few weeks, notably producing some excellent performances in the Champions League.

It now remains to be seen whether or not these impressive performances will be enough to convince Luis de la Fuente, who has already heaped praise on the Real Madrid youngster recently.