Spain coach said he had to omit Xavi Hernandez from squad over health fears
Spain national team coach Vicente del Bosque has revealed that he had to leave out star midfielder Xavi Hernandez from his squad for UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying matches against Lithuania and Scotland due to fears over the player’s
long-term health.
The Barcelona man, who helped Spain to win the Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup tournaments, has been playing through the effects of tendonitis this season.
Del Bosque told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that the 30-year-old needed a break in order to avoid the problem becoming a chronic one.
“We were very sincere in our discussions. We knew that he has had problems for a while, and I do not think he has been focused on the game. He has been suffering from an injury for a long time now, and (we) were worried that it was going to become a chronic
problem. The player remains committed to the national team, but his position had become untenable.”
Several stars on sidelines
Xavi’s omission from the squad comes at a time when many of Spain’s top names have been forced to miss out on the double-header due to various injuries. Arsenal’s Francese Fabregas, striker Fernando Torres, Raul Albiol, Pedro Rodriguez and Jesus Navas are
all sidelined, while Del Bosque has allowed rising stars Juan Mata and Javi Martinez to drop down to the Under-21 squad.
Meanwhile, Del Bosque has said that he will not be taking the challenges provided by Lithuania and Scotland lightly.
“These are two key matches for us, even though you might think that they are comfortable games. We have to be prepared to encounter difficulties. Lithuania are a well-organised side, without any really big names but who play very well. We know that the margin
for error is tight and we have to focus on that."
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