Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has insisted that his players are itching to put things right after a disappointing first game against Cape Verde, opening their World Cup account with a 0-0 draw against the minnows. He also confirmed that Lamine Yamal would be fit to face Saudi Arabia in their next group game.The 18-year-old superstar was only deemed fit for the final 20 minutes of the game, after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was his first appearance in two months, with the injury ending his season for Barcelona in mid-April. De la Fuente told Diario AS that Lamine Yamal was fit, and there would be changes to the side.“The analysis is about clarifying concepts and identifying where we’ve been more or less successful. Always with the aim of improvement. I believe changes are necessary to bring something different. Lamine is fine. He’ll play as much as we deem appropriate. The most important thing is that he’s back. He’s eager to do something significant.”Image via RFEF“The good news is that everyone is available. Lamine is in great form. His playing time will depend on the match. What we can’t do is judge decisions after the game.”“They’re hurting” – de la Fuente on Spain campAs was the case immediately after the game, de la Fuente was preaching calm. He explained that he did not feel their performance was particularly problematic, but his players were keen to set the record straight.“We don’t see it that way. It was a match where, if we’re honest, if it had ended two or three-nil, it would have been different. We need to correct things. It’s not a disaster, but we have to win tomorrow, that’s all. There’s no sense of urgency, no pressure. We’re lucky that the team has a tremendous competitive spirit. The players follow everything, and it could affect them. But they’re used to it. Although I will say one thing. They’re stung… They’re really hurting, and you’ll see them with a different attitude.”De la Fuente himself was not feeling the pressure either.“I feel the same as I did six days ago. Responsible, motivated, excited, and eager to compete tomorrow. We have a clear plan, and I hope we all rise to the occasion.”‘World Cup is an unfair competition’ – de la FuenteThe Spain coach also pointed to the fact that they were not the only contenders that had suffered in the opening round of fixtures.“Let’s not forget Portugal, one of my favorites. In such a short competition… In a league, you can afford any mistake. Not here; that’s the difference in international competition. One mistake on a bad day knocks you out. That’s what makes this competition, in a way, unfair. We know how it works. If you have an off day, don’t let it show. We’ll try to build on that, having already had our average day, and now we need to be at our best. There are no easy opponents here.”The general feeling is that the Spain players are not only frustrated with their performance, but looking to address the media narrative following the Cape Verde game. They kick off against Saudi Arabia at 17:00 BST in Atlanta.The post “They’ve been stung” – Spain manager on reaction of players to Cape Verde draw appeared first on CaughtOffside.