Spain – France: Lamine Yamal takes to the field with “uncle the same age as his father” Jesus Navas

Dani Cavajal’s suspension will pave the way for “the team’s oldest uncle” Jesus Navas to start against France, alongside teammate Lamine Yamal, who is the same age as… his grandson.

Spain will resume training today at their base in Donaueschingen, before travelling to Munich for their Euro 2024 semi-final clash with France with an incomplete squad.

Despite the recovery of key players after the gruelling quarter-final against hosts Germany, coach Luis De La Fuente is still without Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal due to suspension. In addition, Pedri has officially left the tournament due to a serious injury after a collision with Toni Kroos.

While other positions have names capable of replacing, the role of Dani Carvajal in defense is the biggest concern. Currently, the player playing in the same position as Carvajal is veteran defender Jesus Navas.

Will 38-year-old Jesus Navas replace Cavajal against France?
As the only survivor of Spain’s golden generation that won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008-2012, Jesus Navas could play on the same wing as Lamine Yamal. Interestingly, this would be the uncle-nephew pair with the biggest age difference in the match on July 10 if Navas is trusted.

“High school student” Lamine Yamal is not yet 17 years old and interestingly, his father, Mounir Nasroui, is the same age as Jesus Navas.
Lamine Yamal and “young father” Mounir Nasroui at Euro this year
Age is also a big challenge for Jesus Navas when on the other side of the French team’s attack is Kylian Mbappe, who possesses the most terrifying speed of Les Bleus. Of course, coach De la Fuente and his teammates understand this difficulty and will find a way to handle it. In which, the option of actively attacking and controlling the ball to reduce pressure on the defense is still the top choice.

“We will always have to be focused when we attack, because they will try to counter-attack quickly if they get the ball back. If we pay attention and get the ball back quickly, Spain will have a good chance. Football is a team sport, not a one-on-one sport, and we know how to show solidarity.” –  Marc Cucurella, La Roja full-back commented.