Spain will face Macedonia on Saturday night in the fourth official qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup with their most revolutionary team in recent years. Injuries to Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba and Javi Martinez will give Julen Lopetegui's side a different feel, but the coach has absolute confidence in all of his players, most whom he has known for years through his work in the youth team. He'll look to those with less international experience than their peers, but all as highly qualified to take their place in this new-look La Roja side. An injury to Diego Costa has opened the door for Celta Vigo's Iago Aspas and just five of the expected starting XI have more than 20 caps for their country. David Silva is the only player with a century or more of appearances (107), whilst Koke has 28, Sergio Busquets (92), Juan Mata (40) and Pepe Reina (33). The total appearances of the injured players amounts to 408 games: Ramos (140), Iniesta (115), Pique (85), Alba (50) and Javi MartÃnez (18). Compare that to the 25 players called up by Lopetegui - 464 in total, that is to say only 56 more appearances than the five absentees.
To understand this momentous fact even clearer, Silva and Busquets, the two veterans, have 199 games between them whilst the other 23 players in the squad total 282 - and that includes the 40 of Mata. Defence is the least experienced area of the team as no players have reached 20 games for La Roja to this point. Cesar Azpilicueta and Nacho Monreal have 17 whilst Marc Bartra has 11. The others haven't yet reached double figures and three players have not yet debuted for the new coach: Escudero, Herrera and Aspas. Whenever he has the opportunity, Lopetegui usually repeats that formations in football don't win games, players do, so for the match on Saturday he has prepared a team with the intensity that should be the main weapon to win against an inferior team in all other football aspects: technical, tactical and physical.
A 4-3-3 is expected with a line of four defenders (Carvajal-Bartra-Nacho-Monreal) to minimise risks against a rival that plays with two forwards. If at any moment the need arises, with a simple change the team could lose a defender and gain a midfielder or even a striker. Centrally, the loss of Iniesta gives Thiago a chance and Koke seems to be the best partner for Busquets. Silva can play with freedom up front and look to centre-forward Alvaro Morata as his reference point. It's a team with less experience than normal but fully trained and far superior to their opponents.
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