Manchester United’s David de Gea will not go to the Qatar World Cup later this year after reportedly being left off Spain’s 55-man provisional squad list.
Spanish boss Luis Enrique has submitted his preliminary list of players in contention to play at the tournament, which his final 26-man squad will be selected from.
Despite the large squad size, there is still no place for United’s De Gea, who has been overlooked for three other Premier League goalkeepers.
In many ways, this is no surprise. De Gea has not played for Spain since October 2020, with Enrique preferring younger, more modern goalkeepers.
Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon is his number one, while Brentford’s David Raya and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez are now regulars. Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga is among the extended squad.
But given the impressive recent form from De Gea and the ways he is looking to change his game under new boss Erik ten Hag, he will have been hoping for a last-minute call.
Instead, he will be spending the World Cup in Manchester, watching on television. He is the second United player to officially miss out, following Donny van de Beek’s Netherlands snub, and won’t be the only one.
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