Spain call up Como's Jacobo Ramón for Czechia and England games

Spain are already through to the Nations League quarter-finals, but coach Luis de la Fuente isn't taking his foot off the gas. His 27-player squad for Czechia and England has three new names and four goalkeepers.

What happened?

The headline name is Jacobo Ramón, a 21-year-old centre-back from Como, the Serie A side coached by Cesc Fàbregas. He came through Real Madrid's academy and gets his first senior call-up. Como thrashed Lens 9-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Betis pair Álvaro Valles and Marc Roca are also new. Valles is the fourth goalkeeper. De la Fuente said Unai Simón, David Raya and Joan García would all have come, but Raya has a personal matter in England and it's unclear whether it will be resolved by Wednesday.

Roca is no stranger to the coach: he was in the Under-21 side De la Fuente led to the 2019 European title. Pablo Barrios and Ander Barrenetxea return too.

Rodri, Eric García and Dani Olmo are injured. Gavi isn't in the squad either. "He always deserves an exception," De la Fuente said, adding that it is very hard to get into this group.

What's at stake?

Spain face Czechia in Prague on Thursday 12 November, then England at the Metropolitano in Madrid on Sunday 15 November. The group's top spot is up for grabs. "Nobody is going to play more than 180 minutes," the coach said, but he wants his best players on the pitch in both games.

The England game has history. Spain beat them 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring the winner. They also won the 2023 Nations League on penalties against Croatia. De la Fuente called the match "a final", but stressed the job in Czechia comes first.

A quieter tone

The coach opened with a thought for Jesús de Miguel, whose funeral he attended in Toledo on Thursday, and for the families of the Urda train tragedy. "The truly important thing is people," he said.

He doesn't favour stopping football as a sign of mourning. "When I'm gone, I hope people remember me on a football pitch," he said. De la Fuente also recently received the Johan Cruyff Trophy for best coach at the Ballon d'Or gala, calling it a prize for the Spanish federation too.