Fabián Ruiz Ready to Reclaim Spain Spot Ahead of Austria Clash
Spain have packed up their Tennessee base and headed west to Los Angeles for the World Cup knockout stage, bringing with them a midfield selection headache that has defined their group campaign. Waiting for them on Thursday is Austria in the last 32, and one of the men hoping to play a central role is Fabián Ruiz — a player who, for all his achievements, tends to go under the radar.
According to The Guardian, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder started only Spain’s opening group game against Cape Verde, with Luis de la Fuente rotating Dani Olmo and Mikel Merino into the third midfield slot alongside the ever-present Pedri and Rodri. The reason, it appears, is as much about shape as it is about form. When Fabián plays, Spain shift away from De la Fuente’s preferred 4-2-3-1 toward a 4-3-3, which in turn affects where Pedri operates — an area where the Barcelona man has found it harder to influence games.
Fabián, softly spoken by nature and never one to court attention, insists any outside uncertainty about his place does not reflect the mood inside the camp.