Spain cruised past France in their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening, but the victory came at a cost as two key players picked up injuries. Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored either side of half-time to secure a 2-0 win in Texas, setting up a potential final against either England or Argentina on Sunday in New Jersey.
Porro's hamstring strain
Tottenham Hotspur full-back Pedro Porro was forced off in the 84th minute, replaced by Marcos Llorente. According to Spanish outlet AS, Porro requested to be substituted due to a hamstring strain. He appeared in discomfort before his withdrawal, with just five days until the final. 'We'll see if I'm fit to play. Right now I'd say I'm dead. Time to recover,' Porro said after the match.
Yamal's limp
Perhaps a greater concern for Spain was Lamine Yamal limping at full-time after a physical encounter. The young winger was on the receiving end of several fouls, including a challenge by Lucas Digne that led to Spain's first-half penalty. Spain boss Luis de la Fuente was hopeful neither player had suffered serious knocks. 'He's fine as far as I know, and Pedro Porro has muscle tightness, which we'll have to assess,' de la Fuente said.
Rodri's frustration
Spain midfielder Rodri expressed frustration over the treatment of his teammate, noting that Yamal had been fouled repeatedly. 'It's clear that we've been dealing with this situation of numerous fouls for three games now,' the Manchester City midfielder said. 'I understand that some might not be fouls, but we're talking about 10 or 15 fouls where the lad goes to ground, gets tripped, and they have to call it, because otherwise, the defenders are going to keep doing the same thing. The leniency was quite evident today.'
Potential England rematch
If England defeat Argentina on Wednesday night, Sunday's final will be a repeat of the Euro 2024 final, where Oyarzabal scored a late winner for Spain in Berlin. Both Porro and Yamal will be assessed in the coming days as Spain prepare for the decisive match.
