Ander Barrenetxea is out of Spain's next two Nations League matches after injury forced him off against Rayo Vallecano, and Jorge de Frutos has already been brought in as the replacement. Barrenetxea left Anoeta in the 71st minute, after assisting Óskarsson's 1-0, and Spain now have a quick switch to make before facing Czech Republic and England.
Barrenetxea's exit against Rayo Vallecano
The injury came after a productive afternoon for the Real Sociedad winger, who had set up the opening goal before leaving the field in tears. Pellegrino Matarazzo told Estadio Deportivo, in comments translated from Spanish: "He has had very bad luck. 'Barrene' is in a good moment. He has been injured, but we still do not know what it is until they do the tests on him. He will come back stronger for sure"
That line fits the broader picture around Barrenetxea's season. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in 11 La Liga appearances, plus 1 assist in 3 UEFA Europa League games, so this is not a player whose form had been falling away before the setback.
De Frutos gets the call
Spain have turned to De Frutos because he has earned a look of his own. The Rayo Vallecano winger has matched Barrenetxea's La Liga end product with 2 goals and 2 assists in 10 appearances, and his 9.13 rating against Celta Vigo underlined the level he has been at recently.
He also scored 1 goal in the Copa del Rey, which helps explain why Luis de la Fuente has moved quickly rather than waiting for another option. De Frutos made his senior Spain debut on 7 September 2025 against Türkiye, and he is due to report on Monday 9 November from 13:00 at Las Rozas Football City.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
