Lamine in perfect condition; Yamal available for Spain's opener

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente delivered a boost ahead of the World Cup opener, saying Lamine Yamal is "in perfect condition" to face Cape Verde. The Barcelona winger suffered a serious injury on April 22 that threatened his tournament debut but has recovered quicker than expected and arrived in Atlanta ready for the match.

De la Fuente said the doctors clear Yamal to play some minutes but not 90, and confirmed Nico Williams and Victor Muñoz are also available. The coaching staff plan a cautious approach, with a likely bench role to preserve the 18-year-old for the later stages of the competition.

Transfer talk has linked Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid in a €60 million deal with Chelsea, but De la Fuente insisted the left-back remains focused on the national team and praised his quality, saying he might be one of the best left-backs in the world. Spain's final session at Kennesaw State University showed a group in high spirits, with Williams, Muñoz and Yamal all taking part fully.

lamine yamal, spain, cape verde, world cup, nico williams, victor muñoz, marc cucurella, real madrid, chelsea, barcelona