Madrid, Oct 2 (IANS) Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has been forced to make another change to his squad for the two remaining UEFA Nations League games during the ongoing international break, with Real Madrid striker Carlos Espi called up to replace Ferran Torres.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on Friday that Torres, the scorer of the winning goal against Argentina in this summer’s World Cup final, had been released from the squad due to persistent discomfort in his left ankle, reports Xinhua.
“Ferran Torres has left the Spanish national team camp. The international, who plays for PSG, had been experiencing discomfort in his left ankle,” the RFEF said, adding that the decision was made to prioritise his recovery.
Torres’ departure follows the news that Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams withdrew from the squad on Thursday due to discomfort in his left thigh, while Pedro Porro, Eric Garcia and Alejandro Grimaldo had previously dropped out due to injuries.
Espi, who joined Real Madrid from Levante this season, has scored twice in La Liga since his arrival.
Torres left the Camp Nou after four and a half seasons in which he made 207 appearances for the reigning La Liga champions, scoring 65 goals and providing 22 assists. He scored 16 goals in La Liga last season, making him the joint top-scoring Spaniard along with Lamine Yamal.
The deal was completed for 50 million euros (58 million U.S. dollars), with 26-year-old Torres signing a contract until the end of June 2031 with the two-time European champions. The move was finally completed after Torres, who scored the winning goal in this summer’s World Cup final, was allowed to miss three Barcelona training sessions to conclude negotiations over personal terms.
The transfer fee will be useful as Barcelona looks to complete the signing of Spain international midfielder Rodri Hernandez from Manchester City, but Torres’ departure also leaves the club short of attacking options a week before it kicks off its La Liga title defence.
–IANS
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