Spain wait for green light over del Horno switch
The Spanish football federation are waiting to hear from FIFA if they can bring Getafe’s Mariano Pernia into their World Cup squad in place of injured Chelsea left-back Asier del Horno.
FIFA rules state that any player named in a country’s 23-man squad can be replaced up to 24 hours before their opening game if he has a serious injury.
There is uncertainty over what is deemed serious, though.
Del Horno underwent tests on his calf strain in Valencia on Tuesday and Spain’s team doctor Genaro Borras said it would take around 20 days for him to recover full fitness.
That would rule Del Horno out of Spain’s first two matches of the World Cup - not the whole tournament – and it is unclear if FIFA will grant squad replacements on that basis.
“I do not believe that the injury would stop him playing on July 9 (the World Cup final),” said Borras.
“But the examination made it clear that Asier would need 15 days to recover and then after that a programme which would get him up to strength to join the rest of the group.”
Borras added that he was not pleased the Spanish federation was not made fully aware of Del Horno’s injury, which he first picked up with Chelsea.
And when he began training with Spain’s World Cup squad, it only made his injury worse.
“I am not saying that he hid the injury but it is true that he did not evaluate exactly what he was doing and the information we received was vague,” said Borras. “We did not have any news and we knew nothing of his situation.”
Spain’s opening World Cup game is against Ukraine in Leipzig on June 14.
