Fran García replaces Grimaldo in the national team

The national men’s soccer coach, Luis de la Fuente, called up left back Fran García, from Real Betis Balompié, this Wednesday to replace Alejandro Grimaldo (Atlético de Madrid), who leaves the world champion’s concentration due to muscle discomfort.

The Valencian left back was unable to participate this Tuesday in the Nations League match against Croatia after feeling some discomfort in his quadriceps while he was performing a rondo in the warm-up and “after the tests carried out he left as a precaution for the national team’s concentration, thus avoiding any added risk and preserving the player’s health,” the national team noted.

His loss will be covered by the footballer from Bolaños de Calatrava, who has already played in the Absolute under Luis de la Fuente. The Rioja coach called him in June 2023 to replace the injured Juan Bernat ahead of the ‘Final Four’ of the Nations League, in which he did not participate, while he did participate months later, in the matches of the October ‘window’ against Norway (0-1), where he started, and against Scotland (2-0), in which he left the qualifying phase for EURO 2024 after the break.

Now, the winger will be the possible replacement for the starter in his position, Marc Cucurella, for the two remaining games of this international break against the Czech Republic, next Saturday in Oviedo, and against Croatia, on Tuesday, October 6 in Split.