Vicente del Bosque has warned David de Gea that he will not be selected by Spain unless he plays regular football for Manchester United.
There has not yet been any indications as to whether the goalkeeper will regain his No 1 spot for the Red Devils following the breakdown of his proposed move to Real Madrid on transfer-deadline day, but his national-team boss has made it clear that he cannot afford to remain benched, with Euro 2016 on the horizon.
“I've made it clear that [De Gea] will not be selected unless he plays for his team,” he told Radio Marca.
However, while De Gea was called up for La Roja's matches against Slovakia and Macedonia, Del Bosque was more forgiving when discussing the omitted Victor Valdes, who is understood to have no future at United, despite being named in their Premier League squad.
“[Valdes] is a reflection that I've thought long about. We lacked a bit of courage to call him up,” he added.
“Victor's case is especially unique for everyone [connected to the national team].
“His conduct when he was behind Iker [Casillas] and [Pepe] Reina was fantastic.
“He's one of the most committed players to have ever represented the national team. We're stronger with him in the squad.”
