Barcelona star Fermín López will not be part of Spain's squad this summer that will travel to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.
The 23-year-old suffered a sudden injury in the match against Real Betis, which turned out to be much more serious than initially thought.
López played in Barcelona's 3-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday evening, but was substituted at half-time due to foot pain.
Initially it was not thought to be anything serious, but tests on Monday revealed a bigger problem.
According to Diario Marca, the scan showed a fracture in the fifth metatarsal bone of the right foot, which will require surgical intervention.
He is expected to undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair the injury, but it means he will be unable to take part in this summer's World Cup - where he was expected to be a key part of Luis de la Fuente's squad.
Spain will now have to revise their plans just a week before the coach announces the final list.
This could strengthen Álex Baenas' position in the squad and open up opportunities for other attacking alternatives such as Ander Barrenetxea, Carlos Soler, Yeremy Pino and Jesús Rodríguez.
It is not yet clear how long López's recovery will take, but in the worst case scenario he could miss up to three months.
However, he is expected to miss at least two months, even past the date of the World Cup final.
From Barcelona's perspective, there is hope that he will return at the start of next season, although if not, his absence could be extended a little longer./Express newspaper/
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