Barca youngster Fati gets maiden Spain call-up

Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Joshua Kimmich (L) challenges Barcelona’s Guinean-Spanish forward Ansu Fati during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final football match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on August 14, 2020. (Photo by Rafael Marchante / POOL / AFP)

Barcelona’s Guinea-Bissau-born teenager Ansu Fati has been named in Spain’s senior squad for the first time, coach Luis Enrique said on Thursday.

Fati, 17, has been called up for September’s Nations League games against Germany and Ukraine after scoring eight goals in 33 matches for the Catalan club last season.

“He has the quality to play with us. He has excellent statistics, the only player with a better minutes played/ goals scored ratio at Barca is Lionel Messi,” Enrique said.

“He has everything so to become an important player in the squad,” he added.

Enrique returned to the Spain job in November after resigning last June to take care of his daughter, Xana, who died of cancer.

The former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder has also included uncapped Wolves attacker Adama Traore, Manchester City defender Ferran Torres and Sevilla’s Sergio Reguilo, but Barca’s Jordi Alba and Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez miss out.

“If I could have I would have picked 30 players… But it’s impossible. The PSG players could have been there as well as Dani Ceballos and Gerard Moreno… But I can’t pick them all,” Enrique said.

La Roja head to Germany on September 3 before hosting Ukraine three days later in games expected to be played behind closed doors due to the coronAvirus pandemic.