Pau Cubarsi still in contention with Spain despite coming off with injury

Many heartbeats in Catalonia were skipped on Thursday night when they saw star defender Pau Cubarsi sink to the floor on Thursday night in Rotterdam. The 18-year-old central defender has been intrumental in Hansi Flick’s side this year, but went down injured for Spain, and was removed after 41 minutes for Dean Huijsen.

Cubarsi came off with an ankle knock, and Spain manager Luis de la Fuente eased the fears in Can Barca, saying that it was a minor issue, and his substitution was a precuationary measure. He confirmed that ‘he will be there on Sunday’.

Raphinha this season for club and country. Via @statmusefc

– 47 games
– 50 G/A.

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 21, 2025

As per Sport, that is indeed the case, and Cubarsi will head to Valencia with La Roja for the second leg of their Nations League quarter-finals, finely poised at 2-2. Even so, Mario Gila of Lazio has been called up by de la Fuente to make the short trip from Rome to Valencia. For the Netherlands clash, de la Fuente did not include Ferran Torres, Raul Asencio or Yeremy Pino in the matchday squad, and Gila may well end up on the outside looking in too.

The Catalan daily say that the plan is for Cubarsi to be in the starting line-up at Mestalla, but that de la Fuente may decide against risking him and leave him out of the starting line-up. How the teenage defender feels and the progress of any discomfort will define how they proceed.

Of course this comes just a week a before Barcelona take on Osasuna in their rearranged match next Thursday night. Already Flick will be forced into adjustments, with Raphinha and Ronald Araujo likely to miss the clash due to their international commitments on Tuesday with Uruguay and Brazil. Cubarsi’s regular partner Inigo Martinez also missed the Spain trip through a knee knock, and is also a doubt, leaving Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen in contention for minutes.