Spain’s World Cup squad looks to be taking shape after coach Vicente del Bosque named the players that will take on italy in a friendly match next week, although the boss has dismissed reports that those left out have missed out.
Fernando Torres of Chelsea and Manchester United’s Juan Mata are among the big names to miss out on selection for the Italian Job, but the headline news lies in the fact that Brazil-born striker Diego Costa has made the cut.
The Atletico Madrid player has attracted plenty of attention in recent months for switching allegiance from the country of his birth to that of the world champions.
Thiago Alcantara, whose father Mazinho represented the Selecao, has also been called up by del Bosque, who said of the squad: “This is just a squad to play Italy, not for the World Cup. Some players not on this list have a lot of merit.”
Spain will play in Group B of this summer’s tournament, alongside Australia, Chile and Netherlands.
