Vicente del Bosque has caused a surprise by naming Valencia striker Roberto Soldado in his 23-man Confederations Cup squad.
The absence of Xabi Alonso with a groin injury appeared to pave the way for the inclusion of either Benat Etxebarria or Javi Garcia, but the Spain boss has instead opted to take Soldado to the tournament to be held in Brazil.
The players will meet up in Madrid on Tuesday with the exception of Gerard Pique, who has been excused for family reasons and will fly directly to Miami where Spain face Haiti in a friendly at the Sun Life Stadium next Saturday.
La Roja then meet the Republic of Ireland at New York’s Yankee Stadium before travelling to Brazil the following day. There they will begin the tournament against Uruguay on June 16 in Recife, take on Tahiti four days later in Rio de Janeiro and then Nigeria on June 23 in Fortaleza.
The full squad is:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Valdes, Reina
Defenders: Arbeloa, Azpilicueta, Pique, Ramos, Albiol, Monreal, Jordi Alba
Midfielders: Busquets, Javi Martinez, Xavi, Cazorla, Iniesta, Jesus Navas, Silva, Mata
Forwards: Pedro, Fabregas, Villa, Torres, Soldado
