Spain taking precautions to ensure star player is fit for Euro 2024 knockout stages | OneFootball

Spain end their involvement in the Euro 2024 group stages on Monday when they take on Albania. Luis de la Fuente’s side are already qualified for the knockout rounds after winning their opening two fixtures, and as such, widespread changes are expected from the victory over Italy on Thursday.

One player that will definitely miss out against Albania is Rodri Hernandez. The Manchester City midfielder is suspended after picking up bookings in the two matches against Croatia and Italy, and given the schedule, it’s almost a blessing for Spain to give the influential pivot a rest.

Rodri has played 5,201 minutes since the start of the 2023-24 season, and Spain are concerned about him burning out during the knockout stages. He’s also nursing a slight calf problem, so the idea is for him to be protected from now until La Roja’s last 16 tie, as reported by Relevo. This is likely to include a reduced training schedule/intensity.

Those within the Spain camp understand that Rodri has not been at his best during their opening two matches, so they are prepared to do everything possible to ensure he is at 100% for the start of the knockout matches. If he can go up a level, La Roja would stand an excellent chance of going far in Germany.