The Moroccan national team announced, on Wednesday, the recall of midfielder Samir Murabit, replacing the injured Nael El Aynaoui, to the squad preparing to compete in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Al-Aynaoui (25 years old), the German midfielder for RB Leipzig, was part of coach Mohamed Wehbe’s squad, announced at the beginning of this month, which will face Niger in the third and fourth rounds of the continental qualifiers, but an ankle injury forced him to withdraw from the team.
Al Murabit (21 years old), a French Strasbourg player, participated in nine international matches, and was part of Morocco’s squad during the last World Cup, in which the team’s journey ended in the quarter-finals.
Morocco will host Niger on Friday, before hosting them on November 17th.
Morocco leads Group A, with six points after two matches, Niger has three points behind Gabon on goal difference, and Lesotho is at the bottom of the standings with no points.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expressed his optimism on Wednesday about the possibility of Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal participating against England on Sunday in the European Nations League.
The 19-year-old winger will miss the World Champions League match in Prague against the Czech Republic, on Thursday, in the penultimate fifth round of Group C of the first level of the European Nations League, due to a knee problem, but he will join the national team after this match.
Yamal participated with Barcelona in the 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday in the Spanish League, before the Spanish national team announced on Monday that it would not travel to face the Czech Republic in a marginal match for the world champions who had clinched their qualification to the quarter-finals before the last two rounds.
De La Fuente said: “He was injured in the last match, and felt discomfort in one of his knees. He underwent the usual treatment and X-ray examination in Barcelona, and the examination showed the presence of inflammation and fluid accumulation in the knee, which required him to rest.”
He added: “There is an excellent relationship between our medical team and his medical team, and I decided to avoid having him travel here without knowing whether he will be in a position that allows him to play.”
The coach explained that he spoke with the young winger, and that his recovery indicators appear positive before receiving England in Madrid on Sunday.
De la Fuente continued: “He is undergoing a series of exercises with the physiotherapist and with the club, and all indications indicate that his recovery is going well.”
He added: “We believe, and I am optimistic, that he will be with us on Friday.”
De la Fuente rejected the idea that Yamal, who came third in voting for the Ballon d'Or in October, enjoyed any special privileges compared to his colleagues in the Spanish national team.
He said: “He does not enjoy any privileges, and his colleagues deal with the matter calmly because we treat everyone the same way,” adding: “In similar circumstances, we would have made exactly the same decision with any other player, and the players realize that.”
De La Fuente's team has not suffered any losses in the last 43 official matches, which gives “La Roja” additional motivation, according to the coach, who stressed: “We want to continue achieving new numbers and milestones, and this is one of them.”
He added: “None of us probably thought that we would even reach 35 games, because we saw this number as huge, but after reaching 43, you say to yourself: Oh my God, we want to reach 44 of course.”
In the last round, Spain won away to Croatia thanks to a brace scored by Arsenal's English player Michael Merino.
De La Fuente often relies on the midfielder as an influential substitute card, as Merino scored decisive goals against Portugal and Belgium in the World Cup this summer after coming on from the bench.
Merino confirmed that he would like to participate as a starter with the Spanish national team, but that he would not object to the coach’s decisions, saying: “Of course, any player wants to get more minutes. "You will never hear me complain about the coach's decision. I will respect it."
He continued: “But all players want to be influential, get playing minutes, and enjoy their presence on the field.”
Thomas Tuchel, England coach, is looking forward to wonderful moments to celebrate Harry Kane winning the Ballon d'Or as the best player in the world, and achieving a record number of appearances with the England national team, before facing the wounded Croatia national team.
Kane is preparing to play his 126th international match amidst a large crowd at Wembley Stadium, breaking the previous record held by Peter Shilton, who will lead a special honoring ceremony before facing Croatia in the European Nations League competitions.
Kane, captain of the England national team, will also be honored for winning the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to win this prestigious award since Michael Owen in 2001.
When asked, is Bayern Munich star Kane the greatest player in England’s history? Tuchel replied with a smile: “I don’t know, but he is definitely one of the best players in England’s history.”
He added in statements reported by the British News Agency: “Achievements and numbers remain a wonderful thing, and Ken has a group of awards and records, and he will continue to strengthen them in the coming years.”
The England coach continued: “He will continue to score goals and play more matches with the national team, and he will certainly participate as a starter, and will wear the captain’s armband against Croatia.”
He added: “It will be a wonderful occasion to showcase the Ballon d’Or award in our stadium and among our fans, and it also coincides with him achieving his historic record by reaching 126 international matches.”
Tuchel stressed: “An important confrontation also awaits us in the European Nations League, and it is not a friendly match.”
Tuchel concluded: “It is a beautiful occasion, and Harry Kane must overcome the festive atmosphere as soon as possible. Because we need him to lead us to win this match.”
The England national team is close to qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, which will be held in March 2027, before hosting Croatia on its soil, which it previously achieved a landslide victory over in its stadium, with a score of 7-0, last month.
Tuchel continued: “We want to win against Croatia, to enhance our chances of being at the top of the group when facing Spain, and I expect the Croatia national team to have a reaction. It is a mental challenge that we must overcome.”
He also explained: “We must perform with the same energy, enthusiasm and passion, exert our utmost effort, and present an outstanding team performance.”
