Del Bosque recall Michu, Martinez

Image
IANS Madrid
Last Updated : Oct 07 2013 | 2:05 PM IST

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez and Swansea City striker, Miguel Perez Cuesta 'Michu' for the last two World Cup qualifying matches.

Spain will host Belarus Friday and Georgia, Oct 15, knowing that just one win will assure their place in the 2014 World Cup and allow them to win the title. Belarus are the bottom placed team behind Georgia, reports Xinhua.

Martinez replaces Raul Albiol, who was forced to pull out of the original squad, which Del Bosque named Friday. Albiol has rested due to a torn muscle.

Meanwhile Michu, receives his first ever call up to replace David Villa, who was forced to limp out of Atletico Madrid's 2-1 win at home to Celta Vigo Sunday with problems in his left ankle.

The 27-year-old has been on the verge of a call up for around a year following his exception performances for Rayo Vallecano in the 2011-12 season when he scored 15 league goals in 37 appearances.

That didn't earn him the chance to represent his country, but did see him move to the Barclays Premier League, where he has netted 20 goals in 42 league matches as well as helping the Welsh side to win last season's League Cup.

Michu's call up comes because the paperwork allowing Atletico Madrid's Brazilian born striker, Diego Costa to play for Spain still has not been completed.

Del Bosque spoke last week about his desire to call the player, who has only made two appearances in friendly games, into his squad and on Sunday Costa also spoke out.

"Although I was born in Brazil, Spain has given me everything. I have made my decision and all we need now is for the paperwork to be sorted out," said Costa, who is not the top scorer in the Spanish league after scoring his side's goals in the win against Celta.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 07 2013 | 2:02 PM IST

Next Story