MADRID: Lamine Yamal returned to the Spain squad named Friday after injury forced Barcelona’s young star to miss last month’s World Cup qualifiers.
A groin problem kept Yamal sidelined for Spain’s games against Georgia and Bulgaria.
But after recovering from a groin injury and returning to club duty, Yamal is back in the reckoning to face Georgia on November 15 in Tbilisi followed by Turkiye in Seville three days later.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz is also fit again after recovering from a leg injury suffered in the 2-1 Champions League defeat of Barcelona at the start of October.
Spain, the European champions, are top of Group E, with automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in their grasp.
While Yamal returns to national duty, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will be missing his Barca teammate Pedri.
Also out of contention with injury are Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, and Atletico Madrid defender Robin Le Normand.
Yamal set for Spain return in World Cup qualifiers
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Yamal set for Spain return in World Cup qualifiers
- A groin problem kept Yamal sidelined for Spain’s games against Georgia and Bulgaria
- Spain are top of Group E with automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in their grasp
Nantes axe coach Kantari, turn to club hero Halilhodzic
- The 73-year-old Halilhodzic was a star striker for Nantes in the 1980s
- Halilhodzic’s first match in charge will be against Strasbourg
NANTES, France: Struggling Nantes fired coach Ahmed Kantari on Tuesday and announced veteran Vahid Halilhodzic would take over “until the end of the season.”
Kantari was hired on December 10 but lost eight out of 10 Ligue 1 matches, concluding with a 1-0 home loss to Angers.
Nantes are 17th in the table facing automatic relegation.
The 73-year-old Halilhodzic was a star striker for Nantes in the 1980s and led the club to the 1983 French title with 27 goals. He had an earlier stint as the club’s coach, when he took over eight games into the 2018-19 season.
His long management career has also included stops at Lille, Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain, Raja Casablanca, Dynamo Zagreb, Trabzonspor (twice) and coaching the national teams of Japan, Algeria, Ivory Coast and finally Morocco, where his three year stint ended in 2022 with what appeared to be retirement.
Halilhodzic’s first match in charge will be against Strasbourg, contenders for European qualification, on the March 22, before two crucial away games at last-placed Metz and then Auxerre who are currently two points and one place above Nantes in the relegation-playoff spot.
