At half-time of Spain’s match against Japan on Thursday, La Roja were winning the game 1-0, with a goal scored by Alvaro Morata following an assist from Chelsea fullback Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Blues’ player ended up being replaced by Dani Carvajal for the second half, and Spain ended up losing the match 2-1, with Japan clinching a spot in the knockout stage.
Azpilicueta’s replacement at half-time even seemed like a tactical decision at first, but as now revealed by the Spanish media, the Chelsea player may actually have a little injury issue.
According to Sport, the fullback could not train with Luis Enrique’s squad on Friday due to an injury.
It’s claimed that the Chelsea player is even a doubt for the round-of-16, with Spain facing Morocco on Tuesday afternoon.
Since the national team is still to officially talk about that, we should wait until their doctors come up with a more detailed report.
Azpilicueta was a starter in Spain’s opening game against Costa Rica, having played for 90 minutes. He then stayed on the bench in the match against Germany and now had this issue facing Japan.
