Barcelona midfield ace at the centre of Spain manager’s tactical blueprint for Euros

Spain kickstarted the international break with a narrow 1-0 defeat over Colombia – a game that saw Pau Cubarsi make his international debut while Lamine Yamal also featured as a substitute.

But while the focus was around these two Barcelona youngsters, it appears coach Luis de la Fuente was drawing the blueprint of Spain’s gameplan for the upcoming European Championship.

De la Fuente’s new formation to accommodate Pedri

Indeed, De la Fuente abandoned a 4-3-3 formation in favour of a 4-2-3-1 system, with Joselu leading the attack, just ahead of Gerard Romero, who operated as the number ten.

As reported by SPORT, De la Fuente would accommodate Pedri in this No. 10 position, in order to utilise the Spaniard’s creativity to help Spain create more chances in the final third.

Luis de la Fuente has high hopes for Pedri (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

In this formation, Pedri will receive coverage from two defensive midfielders. Rodri, for one, is a surefire choice. But for the other option, De la Fuente has several candidates to choose from including Mikel Merino and Fabian Ruiz.

Even Martin Zubimendi could prove to be an option for De la Fuente in the double pivot, though the Real Sociedad starlet has a more defensive approach.

Are Spain counting on Pedri’s return?

Luis de la Fuente, for one, is well aware of how much Pedri could impact the team if he operates in the number ten role.

As such, the Spanish national team coach is counting on the return of the Barcelona midfielder, who is currently nursing an injury.

There is a possibility Pedri could return to action by May. He may even be available for Barcelona for the upcoming El Clasico against Real Madrid next month.