Spain manager Luis Enrique has explained his decision not to call up Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea after Robert Sanchez pulled out of the squad.
The United keeper was a surprising omission from the La Roja squad for their two friendlies this month. Regular first-teamer Unai Simon maintained his place while Brighton star Sanchez and Brentford's David Raya were both selected ahead of De Gea.
United's No.1 hasn't featured for his national side since their 1-0 win over Ukraine in October 2020. Since then, he has been an unused substitute in both their European Championship and World Cup qualifying campaigns.
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With Sanchez since ruled out for personal reasons, Enrique was forced into making a decision on the third goalkeeping spot. In turn, he opted for Barcelona B goalkeeper Arnau Tenas — much to the surprise of many.
But speaking after their 2-1 win over Albania in their first test match, Enrique explained: "We asked the U21 manager to send us a goalkeeper as Robert Sanchez couldn’t play. They decided that Arnau Tenas was the one."
De Gea has been in top form for United this season and has been a regular performer in a disappointing season. And ahead of this weekend's clash, Enrique admitted he did speak to the United man about his selection decision, but was firm in his answer. He said: "I spoke with David, but before the game, I no longer talk about players who are not on the list. You will forgive me."
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