Spain Coach Luis de la Fuente Closely Monitoring Lamine Yamal Minutes

Lamine Yamal has scored four goals in three games for Spain, including strikes inside two minutes against both England and Croatia.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente confirmed during a news conference in Split that no player will exceed 270 minutes during the current four-match international window. Lamine Yamal, who has made 11 starts for club and country this season, has currently played the equivalent of two out of three matches in terms of total time on the pitch. The 19-year-old Barcelona forward enters Tuesday's fixture against Croatia having scored four goals across his last three appearances.

Yamal’s recent scoring run includes a goal within the first two minutes of a 3-2 victory over England at Wembley, where he played the full 90 minutes. He followed that performance with another goal inside two minutes during a 68-minute stint against Croatia last week. In Saturday's 3-1 win against Czechia in Oviedo, the Ballon d'Or contender found the net within six minutes before being substituted at halftime. These results have helped Spain maintain maximum points at the top of their Nations League group.

De la Fuente noted that Yamal is in great shape to play on Tuesday despite the heavy schedule. The coach highlighted the teenager's competitive nature and desire to play, while emphasizing the need to assess the right moves for all squad members during a hectic break. Barcelona faces a significant domestic schedule following the international window, concluding with a Clásico against Real Madrid on Oct. 25.

Tuesday's opponents, Croatia, are attempting to recover from a 7-0 loss to England on Saturday. Midfielder Luka Modric stated that the team is not proud of the defeat and is seeking a positive reaction from fans in the upcoming match.