Luis de la Fuente 'Uncalls' Raúl Asencio and He Won't Debut With the Spanish National Team

One of the positive surprises that Spanish soccer has recorded during the current season is Raúl Asencio. The '35' from the Canary Islands broke into Real Madrid's first team to solve the shortage of center-backs in Santiago Bernabéu's locker room, a goal he would have more than fulfilled. He has also achieved this purpose by showing his great quality.

With hardly any adaptation period, Raúl Asencio has proven to be a footballer made to perform for many years in the European soccer elite. So much so that, several sports media in our country reveal, he would have become Carlo Ancelotti's second center-back... ahead of a legend like David Alaba: the '4' Austrian is still recovering sensations after being seriously injured for more than a year.

In light of Raúl Asencio's performance in the first white team, given his arrival from Real Madrid Castilla, Luis de la Fuente decided to call him up when he could. The presence of the '35' Madridist with the national team during the March international break has left positive impressions on the player and his personal and professional environment.

But not all the footballers that the national coach has drafted for these two weeks would have space on the roster for the quarterfinals against the Netherlands. The first leg of this tie against the Dutch team, according to 'Relevo', has left two players out: Yeremi Pino and Raúl Asencio.

Another Opportunity

Thus, the Real Madrid footballer is left out of the players that Luis de la Fuente will have available to face the footballers coached by Ronald Koeman.

Although that decision has not aroused much sympathy among Madrid fans, it is not a definitive sentence for Raúl Asencio's passage through the Spanish national team. In fact, he can play the second leg.

Because the '35' from Real Madrid remains part of those chosen by Luis de la Fuente for the current international break. This time, he would be left out of a match he would arrive at with a lot of accumulated fatigue... especially due to the two matches he played with just 67 hours of rest between them.

The demanding schedule of the merengue team during the week prior to the international break would have considerably worn out all the white footballers. Luis de la Fuente has decided not to count on Raúl Asencio for the first leg of the Nations League quarterfinals, which focuses attention on the second leg.

In case Raúl Asencio can't play any minutes with the Spanish national team, these two weeks will be a great experience for the Real Madrid center-back. Because very few reach the absolute level so quickly by sporting merits... and it is a time that serves him to enter the dynamics of the Spanish locker room for better integration for appointments of greater competitive caliber.