Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente is expected to name his strongest possible starting lineup for Thursday's UEFA Nations League semi-final showdown with France at the MHPArena in Stuttgart.

La Roja are still having to cope without Ballon d'Or winner Rodri as he continues to build up his fitness at Manchester City ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, while Ferran Torres is also absent after undergoing surgery for appendicitis towards the end of last month.

However, De la Fuente still has a plethora of talented players at his disposal including Barcelona's 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, who is expected to earn his 20th senior cap on the right flank, while in-demand Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams operates on the left.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice in Spain's quarter-final second-leg draw with Netherlands in March (with La Roja winning on penalties) and he could continue to lead the line at the expense of Alvaro Morata, while Dani Olmo should get the nod to start in the number 10 role, even though in-form Real Betis playmaker Isco is in contention to make his first international appearance since 2019.

Gavi is another who has made a long-awaited comeback to the senior setup, returning for the first time since 2023 when he suffered a cruciate ligament injury, and the Barcelona prodigy will battle with club teammate Pedri, Martin Zubimendi and Champions League winner Fabian Ruiz for a start in midfield.

Rising star Dean Huijsen - the only Real Madrid representative in Spain's 26-man squad - could earn his third senior cap in central defence alongside Robin Le Normand, but De la Fuente will weight up recalling 18-year-old Pau Cubarsi who has returned to the squad after missing the previous international break through injury.

While Unai Simon is set to continue between the sticks and Marc Cucurella is poised to start at left-back, Oscar Mingueza and Pedro Porro will compete with each other for a start on the right side of a four-man defence.

Spain possible starting lineup: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Le Normand, Cucurella; Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, N. Williams; Oyarzabal

> Click here to see how France could line up for this contest

Written by
Oliver Thomas