Spanish Football Federation assures Barcelona gems will not be overloaded with minutes

Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal have been summoned by the Spanish national team for international duty and are currently with Luis de la Fuente’s squad ahead of the friendlies against Colombia and Brazil.

While Yamal has played for La Roja before and even scored twice for the senior setup, Cubarsi is currently in his maiden call-up and could make his debut later this month.

With this being the final international break before the European Championships in Germany, there is a good chance both La Masia starlets will be called up for the supper tournament.

Worry in the board

Given the club’s history with young players getting injured or overburdened on international duty, Barcelona’s administrators fear the worst for Yamal and Cubarsi.

After all, the Euros are followed by the Olympic games in Paris for which the young duo could again be called up.

The quadrennial event required that football squads be predominated by players under the age of 23, and it is safe to say that Yamal and Cubarsi are amongst the country’s finest talents in that age group.

According to reports from SPORT, however, there is no need to fear. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) understands the physical limit of the youngsters and will not overburden them with two tournaments this summer.

Lamine Yamal will be key for Spain in the summer. (Photo by CESAR MANSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The Federation prioritises their fitness, for they will be crucial to the team for decades to come. Their participation in the Olympics, thus, will depend on their role in the Euros.

If either player is overburdened in the Euros with regular minutes of a deep run, they will be exempted from the Olympic games. After all, the deadline to submit the squad for the event is one day after the Euro final.

The injured players

While Cubarsi and Yamal are the only two players from Barcelona currently called up, La Roja also have their eyes on the injured stars who promise to recover in time.

Pedri, subject to his fitness, will be a default call-up for the Euros. His participation in the Olympics, needless to say, will be complicated for he will be a regular member of the European event.

Gavi and Alejandro Balde, meanwhile, are on the Federation’s radar if they can return in time for the Olympics. As it stands, however, it is unlikely that they will be called up given their lack of match fitness should they recover.

Notably, Barcelona cannot refuse to send any player if called up as per the Spanish law. Contrary to reports, they insist they have received no communication from any club requesting them to limit minutes.