Spain coach Luis Enrique has announced a 55-man provisional team for the World Cup which includes five goalkeepers with Manchester United’s number one, David de Gea missing from the list.
The 31-year-old has found it hard to get appearances for the La Furia Roja in recent times.
Brentford’s David Raya was given his first international call-up and is most likely to be the first choice for the Spanish national team heading to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Enrique said on the decision to go with Raya, “It is part of the tracing we do with the goalkeepers,”
“He is a player who is doing very well. I really want to see it in the context of the selection. He has the necessary profile to play with us.”
Raya is known for his ball distribution at Brentford while De Gea is highly criticized for his goalkeeping in general.
List of the five goalkeepers that were picked in the provisional team are: David Soria (Getafe), Kepa Arrizabalaga(Chelsea), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Brentford) and Robert Sanchez(Brighton)
David de Gea hasn’t made an appearance for Spain since 2020 where he featured in the 1-0 UEFA Nations League loss to Ukraine.