Spain to 'miss' Yamal in final World Cup qualifiers, says Chelsea's Cucurella

Chelsea and Spain full-back Marc Cucurella spoke to 'Sport', addressing certain topics head-on, but always with a mature perspective. The full-back, a regular starter for De la Fuente, is eager for the World Cup, where he hopes Lamine Yamal will be present, a unique talent who he believes must remain composed.

"We're just one step away [from the World Cup]. We've had an almost perfect qualification campaign, but if we're not fully focused in these two matches, it could slip away. We hope to seal it on Saturday in Georgia and then enjoy it with our fans in Seville on Tuesday. At the moment, it's almost impossible to do better, and yet we still haven't secured it. That shows you that football doesn't give you anything for free and that you have to work hard. It depends on us, which is a good thing," he acknowledged.

When asked about the controversy surrounding Lamine Yamal, Cucurella responded calmly: "It's a tricky situation. It won't be easy for him; many players and teammates suffer from groin pain. We're going to miss him; he's a very important player for us. The most important thing is that he recovers because a very exciting year is coming up."

"The most important thing is that he enjoys it, that he keeps doing what he's been doing until now, and that he doesn't listen to the criticism. That he plays football the way he knows how. He's handled it very well, and there's no reason why that should change. He has a bright future; he's very mature for his age. If he's focused and enjoys himself on the pitch, he's very difficult to stop."

Click here to read article