National teams during the October break are often scenes of revolving doors in the first few days, with players arriving to be tested for fitness, some of those then being sent home, and replacements coming through the door.
Spain have already had their fair share, but are better equipped to deal with it than most.
For example, with worries around the fitness of Ferran Torres, Spain were able to call up Bryan Gil. The Tottenham owned player is on loan again, this time at Girona, and the call up was a big boost.
However, he was then withdrawn. Estadio Deportivo say that after conversations between RFEF and Girona, it was decided that it was ‘not advisiable to take risks’ with the player.
Tottenham’s opinion in all of this isn’t shared. On one hand it can be assumed they’d like him to play for Spain to increase his value, and on the other they certainly don’t want his loan ruined by fitness issues.
Estadio Deportivo point out Gil hasn’t played for Spain for three years, and also had to withdraw the last time he was called up. They call it a ‘curse’.
Girona and Tottenham will hope the Gil curse doesn’t extend to loans. He’s often started them brilliantly and then quickly faded away.
That happened specifically at Valencia, partially at Sevilla, and after huge fanfare when he initially joined Girona, his minutes in La Liga are reducing there too.
Over his first four La Liga matches for Girona, Gil averaged 85 minutes a game, but over his last four La Liga appearances it’s gone down to an average of 32 minutes.
The talent is certainly there, the issue of turning that into consistency over a prolonged period still remains.
