Real Betis defender Fran García has been called up to the Spain national team for the remaining two UEFA Nations League fixtures. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on Wednesday that the full-back replaces Atlético Madrid's Alejandro Grimaldo, who left the squad as a precaution after feeling discomfort in his left thigh during the warm-up before the Spain-Croatia match at the Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium.
This call-up marks García's return to the senior national team after nearly three years. His last appearance was in October 2023 under manager Luis de la Fuente, during Euro 2024 qualifiers against Scotland and Norway. The 26-year-old from Bolaños de Calatrava has two international caps to his name.
The 31-year-old Atlético defender felt the discomfort just before the match against Croatia. Following medical tests, the national team's technical staff and medical services decided he should leave the camp to avoid any further risk. The RFEF released a statement detailing the situation. "The Atlético de Madrid international defender felt discomfort in his left thigh during the warm-up prior to Spain - Croatia at Sánchez-Pizjuán and, after the tests carried out, he leaves the squad as a precaution," the federation said.
The Spanish national team, already crowned champions of this competition, faces its final two fixtures in this international window. They will play the Czech Republic and have a rematch with Croatia. Spain approaches these games with full confidence after securing two victories in this break, against England and Croatia.
For Fran García, this call comes at an excellent time for both his personal form and that of his club. Real Betis Balompié sit third in La Liga with 16 points from seven games, riding an unbeaten run of five matches. The defender will rejoin the Betis squad after the international break, in time for the next league fixture at home against Osasuna on October 11th. Manuel Pellegrini's side has kept a clean sheet for 270 consecutive minutes in the league, a key factor in their strong position.
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