Del Bosque taps Sevilla duo for Belarus qualifier

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called up Sevilla midfielder Aleix Vidal and goalkeeper Sergio Rico for the first time for the holders' Euro 2016 qualifier away to Belarus next month.

Del Bosque taps Sevilla duo for Belarus qualifier

(Reuters)





Vidal, 25, and Rico, 21, join Sevilla team mate Vitolo in the squad for the match in Borisov on June 14, reward for the defending Europa League holders' fine season.

Unai Emery's side have again reached the final of the continent's second-tier club competition and will play Ukraine's Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the showpiece in Warsaw on Wednesday.

"Rico is a very young lad who has had a great season and he deserves to be here," Del Bosque told a news conference.

"The same goes for Aleix Vidal," he added. "He is a player who operates on the wing, he plays very well and... he is having a great run."

With five matches played, Spain are second in Euro 2016 qualifying Group C on 12 points, three behind leaders Slovakia, who beat them 2-1 in Zilina in October, and three ahead of third-placed Ukraine.

Spain host Slovakia in September in a match that could decide who goes to the tournament in France next year as group winners.

Del Bosque's latest 24-man squad will meet up in Madrid on June 8 and play a friendly against Costa Rica in Leon three days later before travelling to Belarus.

There was no place in the squad for Chelsea forward Diego Costa or Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara and Del Bosque said they were suffering from minor muscle problems.

Nolito, who has performed impressively for Celta Vigo this term, was among the forwards selected along with in-form Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, Valencia’s Paco Alcacer and Pedro of Barcelona.

Del Bosque has also invited five players to train with the first team: full backs Jose Luis Gaya of Valencia, Celta's Jonathan Castro and Espanyol's Ruben Duarte plus Malaga forward Juanmi and Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez.

Spain squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), David De Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Rico (Sevilla)

Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Marc Bartra (Barcelona), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Juan Bernat (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Arsenal), David Silva (Manchester City), Vitolo (Sevilla), Isco (Real Madrid), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea), Aleix Vidal (Sevilla)

Forwards: Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Pedro (Barcelona), Nolito (Celta Vigo), Paco Alcacer (Valencia)





(Reporting by Iain Rogers; Editing by John O'Brien and Ken Ferris)


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Source: Reuters


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