Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has hit back at critics of his use of wonderkid Lamine Yamal after the Barcelona star was forced to withdraw from international duty.
Yamal, 17, reported hamstring discomfort after playing in Spain's 1-0 win over Denmark on Saturday, and it was subsequently decided that he would return to Barcelona for further treatment.
The teenage ace has featured in all of Barcelona's matches this season after starring in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph over the summer despite only turning 17 in July.
Concerns have been raised that he is being overplayed at such an early stage in his career, but De La Fuente has defended his reliance on Yamal.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday night's Nations League clash with Serbia, De La Fuente said: 'Lamine had some discomfort at the end of the match. I spoke to him and he told me that he thought he wouldn't be 100% fit on Tuesday and when in doubt we always bet on the health of the athlete.
'Football is football, if it has to happen, it will happen. The message is always the same and that's why he's at home. He played because he had to play and there's no more debate.
'What saddens me the most is that there are people who take the bait. I'll make that clear. Last year we played 17 international matches because we were lucky enough to reach the final of the European Championship, but this year we're going to play ten. In total 27 in two years, one a month. The problem is another and we have enough with our own problems.
'I haven't spoken to anyone at Barça, although I have a good relationship with them. He's been honest, he's not feeling well and I thank him for his maturity to tell me that he's not 100 percent. I thank him for that.'
Yamal has enjoyed a brilliant start to the season at Barcelona, registering five goals and five assists in 11 appearances across all competitions.
Yamal played 50 matches for Barcelona last season, and has been heavily involved again this term after starring at Euro 2024 for Spain
He has racked up these impressive numbers after playing 50 matches for Barcelona last season in his first full senior campaign.
But there are fears over his amount of game time, especially following injuries in recent seasons to team-mates Pedri and Gavi after they were used excessively in their first years at club and international level.
De La Fuente is not worried that injury setbacks could become a regular occurrence for Yamal, though, insisting the right decision has been made over his fitness this time around to prevent him from being sidelined for an extended period.