Spain manager Luis Enrique has released his 55-man provisional squad for World Cup 2022 in Qatar, with Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea not included.
As reported by Marca, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has been preferred over De Gea, while Unai Simon, David Raya and Robert Sanchez remain Enrique’s first-choice keepers.
De Gea’s exclusion doesn’t come as a surprise, as he has been down the pecking order for a long time.
The 31-year-old was also snubbed by Enrique for last month’s Nations League games.
Kepa’s upturn in form at Chelsea has opened the door for his return to the national team.
The former Athletic Bilbao keeper was on the fringes before reviving his career under the Blues’ new head coach Graham Potter.
Kepa has displaced Edouard Mendy as the first-choice keeper, with the Spaniard producing impressive displays in recent weeks.
However, it remains to be seen whether he will make it to the final list, which will be released on November 11.
Kepa has been a revelation for @ChelseaFC under Graham Potter! 👏 pic.twitter.com/sFkNy3gepn
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 28, 2022
Sergio Ramos’ performances at Paris Saint-Germain haven’t gone unnoticed, as Enrique has included him in the preliminary squad.
After enduring an injury-curtailed 2021/22 campaign, the 36-year-old has become a regular in the defence for PSG this season.
However, the chances of Spain’s record appearance holder making it to the final squad are slim.
Celta Vigo attacker Iago Aspas has been included as Enrique has at last taken notice of his impressive goalscoring consistency over the years.
Barcelona’s new breakout star Alejandro Balde has a place in the squad alongside another La Liga sensation Arnau Martinez.
The 19-year-old is proving to be one of the top talents in the Spanish league this season, having helped Girona gain promotion last term.
Marco Asensio and Dani Carvajal are the only Real Madrid players who have made it to the squad, while there is no place for Nacho.
Ferran Jutgla has earned a spot following his fantastic form with Club Brugge this season.
The 23-year-old – who left Barcelona in the summer – has netted eight goals and five assists in all competitions for the Belgian giants this term.
He was also instrumental in Brugge qualifying for the Champion League round of 16 for the first time in the club’s history.
