Key Takeaways:
- Dean Huijsen has been withdrawn from Spain’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria following a confirmed muscle injury
- Aymeric Laporte, unavailable for Spain since November 2024, has been selected to take Huijsen’s place
- Several other key players, including Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Fabián Ruiz, Nico Williams, Gavi, and Dani Carvajal, will miss the qualifiers due to injuries
Squad Update: Injuries Force Major Changes
Dean Huijsen, currently on the books at Real Madrid, has been ruled out of Spain’s forthcoming World Cup qualifying fixtures against Georgia and Bulgaria. The Spanish Football Federation revealed that the centre-back arrived at the national team camp on Monday evening suffering from muscle fatigue. Huijsen did not take part in Tuesday’s training session, and the club was notified that his condition failed to improve. Medical examinations conducted this morning confirmed the presence of a muscle injury.
🚨⚠️ Dean Huijsen leaves Spain camp as he’s not 100% fit for the upcoming games.
Aymeric Laporte replaces Real Madrid defender. pic.twitter.com/ipyc9HwgI8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 8, 2025
In response to Huijsen’s enforced absence, Spain have called upon Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte to reinforce the defensive line. Laporte, who last featured for the national side in November 2024, will return to international duty for these critical qualifiers.
Injury List Grows for La Roja
Huijsen’s withdrawal is the latest setback for manager Luis de la Fuente as Spain grapple with a mounting injury crisis. Earlier in the week, Rodri was omitted from the squad, and Lamine Yamal also suffered the same fate shortly beforehand. The injury list is further compounded by the absences of Fabián Ruiz, Nico Williams, Gavi, and Dani Carvajal, all confirmed to be unavailable for the matches against Georgia and Bulgaria.
Current Spain Squad Status
| Player | Club | Status | Reason for Absence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Huijsen | Real Madrid | Withdrawn | Muscle injury |
| Aymeric Laporte | Athletic Bilbao | Called up | Replacement for Huijsen |
| Rodri | Manchester City | Withdrawn | Injury |
| Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Withdrawn | Injury |
| Fabián Ruiz | PSG | Unavailable | Injury |
| Nico Williams | Athletic Bilbao | Unavailable | Injury |
| Gavi | Barcelona | Unavailable | Injury |
| Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | Unavailable | Injury |
La Roja now face the challenge of navigating their upcoming qualifiers with a significantly altered squad as they seek to maintain their momentum on the road to the World Cup.
