Spain manager Luis Enrique admitted that he is being unfair to Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso after his surprise omission from the national team.
The 30-year-old’s exclusion from the squad is a bit of a surprise considering he started for Spain in the Nations League semi-final and final last month.
Unfortunately for Alonso, Ben Chilwell has since reclaimed the first-choice left-wing back spot at Chelsea.
Alonso has only made three appearances for the Blues since October’s international break.
This might have influenced Enrique’s decision, although, the manager insisted that it is purely tactical.
“It’s the position that has been most difficult for me, obviously because of the performance of Marcos Alonso,” the former Barcelona manager told the media (via Marca).
“He’s earned it, what’s more, he could have made the squad and been a starter in both games without any doubt.
“I have to admit that this is the most unfair I think I’ve ever been to a player. For what he did in the last two games he deserved to be here.
“But small details make me think that both Jose [Luis Gaya] and Jordi [Alba] are going to help us a lot in these two games (v Greece and Sweden)”.
Alonso can now focus on recovery and getting back on Chelsea team
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Alonso picked up a last-minute injury in their Champions League win over Malmo.
While it is likely that he will have recovered by the time the international break starts, not having to travel for international duty might benefit Alonso.
Similar to how Chilwell had to miss out on international duty with England, being at Chelsea during the international break might help Alonso make his way up the pecking order.