Spain boss Luis Enrique confirmed his decision to include Ansu Fati in his 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was a late move.
Fati has struggled for both form and full fitness in the last 18 months, after undergoing knee surgery in November 2020, shortly after making his last appearance for the national side.
The 20-year-old has been hit by setbacks in his recovery from the injury with hamstring issues curtailing his 2021/22 campaign.
Barcelona head coach Xavi has opted for extreme caution in bringing him back into the first team fold this season with just three La Liga starts so far.
Enrique left Fati out of his squad for September’s UEFA Nations League games due to concerns over his playing time at the Camp Nou but his stance has changed ahead of the World Cup.
“It’s been one of the main doubts until the last minute. I have gambled on him over other players”, as per reports from Marca.
“Ansu’s level is unquestionable. He’s gone through a difficult time and I had doubts until the last second.
“Is he close to his best level? We’ll have to see about that.
“I think it can be a great stimulus for him to return to the squad, but there are doubts.
“We will see what happens during the World Cup.”
Fati could feature in the pre-tournament friendly against Jordan on November 17 before Spain kick off their Group E campaign against Costa Rica six days later.
