En EspañolBale will play against Ireland but not Spain
Luis Enrique could hardly have planned a better start to his new role as coach of the Spanish national team, having beaten England 2-1 at Wembley and having thrashed Croatia 6-0 in Elche, and now he faces Wales in his third match in charge.
The Euro 2016 semi-finalists welcome Spain to the Principality Stadium this Thursday evening for a friendly and they do so without Gareth Bale, meaning the star attraction is Luis Enrique.
The focus will be on the coach of La Roja in the absence of the fatigued Bale, with fans back on the Iberian Peninsula keen to see if they team can play as well as they did in September.
With Cesar Azpilicueta set to replace Dani Carvajal on the right of defence and with Raul Albiol, Jonny and Paco Alcacer all expected to get some minutes, Thursday's night's match should be an experiment worth watching.
For both of these teams, this match will serve as a dress rehearsal for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches, as Spain host England on Monday and with Ryan Giggs' Wales visiting the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.
Related tags
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rq3RnJhnm5%2BifKa6jp%2BmqKySlrmte9KpmKeho516p7vOrZmapJxkf3F9l2hoaWdhZnx2rsGfaJ1vYpp%2FeHyTnmmcbJRtr3WBw25loaydoQ%3D%3D