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Injury rules Spain midfielder out of global tournament
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Fermín López will miss the upcoming World Cup after fracturing a bone in his right foot during Sunday's 3-1 La Liga victory over Real Betis.
Surgery confirmed, no return date set
Barcelona announced on Monday that López, 23, will undergo surgery for a fifth-metatarsal fracture. The club did not specify when he is expected to return to action.
Fifth-metatarsal injuries typically sideline players for two to three months, according to medical consensus.
National-team blow
López, who has seven senior caps, was widely expected to be named in coach Luis de la Fuente's 26-man squad for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. De la Fuente will reveal the final roster on Monday, 25 May.
Spain open their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta on 15 June (17:00 BST), followed by matches against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.
Recent injury history offers cautionary note
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez underwent surgery for an identical fracture in April 2023 and missed the remainder of that season. He returned the following August but reaggravated the injury in September of the same year.
López's Barcelona impact
Despite two separate groin injuries this season, López contributed 13 goals and 17 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, helping Barcelona secure consecutive La Liga titles.
The World Cup would have marked López's second major international tournament after he appeared for 28 minutes during Spain's victorious Euro 2024 campaign.
