Spain’s preparations for Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina have been disrupted by fitness concerns surrounding Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro.
Both players trained separately on Thursday after finishing the 2-0 semi-final victory over France with physical problems. Meanwhile, wildfire smoke has reduced air quality across the region where the final will be played.
Despite the concerns, Spain’s football federation remains confident that Yamal and Porro will be available for the tournament’s decisive match.
Yamal trains with thigh heavily strapped
Yamal took part in an individual recovery programme and was pictured with a bandage around his left thigh, the same area in which he suffered a hamstring injury before the World Cup.
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The Barcelona winger also sustained a knock and experienced discomfort in his right ankle after landing awkwardly during the final action of the semi-final.
Porro, who scored Spain’s second goal against France, is managing a hamstring overload. The Tottenham defender joined Yamal on the training pitch but did not take part in the main session.
Both players are expected to return progressively to full training from Friday, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The remaining 24 members of Luis de la Fuente’s squad trained normally at the Melanie Lane Training Grounds, a New York Red Bulls facility in New Jersey.
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Wildfire smoke sweeps across the region
Spain’s fitness concerns have been accompanied by difficult environmental conditions around New York and New Jersey.
Smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario has travelled across the Great Lakes and into the north-eastern United States, creating a thick haze and reducing air quality. Almost 850 fires were active across Canada in mid-July, including more than 180 in Ontario, as described by NASA’s Earth Observatory.
The smoke has combined with high temperatures to create potentially harmful conditions, particularly for children, older adults, pregnant people and those with heart or lung conditions.
“The combination of dangerous heat and unhealthy air is a serious threat to New Yorkers’ health,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in an official statement from New York City.
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“If you can, stay somewhere cool with air conditioning, limit your time outdoors, drink plenty of water and check on your neighbours, especially older New Yorkers and anyone with a health condition.”
City authorities have kept hundreds of cooling centres open and made free KN95 masks available at libraries, police stations, firehouses and major transport hubs.
Final will be played in New Jersey
Although the event is commonly marketed as taking place in New York and New Jersey, the final will not be staged in New York City. Spain and Argentina will meet at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
No change to the match schedule has been announced because of the smoke. However, with both teams training in the region, air quality will continue to be monitored before Sunday’s final.
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For Spain, the immediate priority is the recovery of Yamal and Porro. The federation has played down fears over their availability, but their involvement in full training on Friday should provide a clearer indication of whether both players are ready to start.
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