The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
No place for Chelsea striker in Spain squad
Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata is absent from the Spain squad that will travel to the World Cup.
The 25-year-old managed only 11 league goals for the Blues in the recently concluded season and only appeared as a lastminute substitute in Saturday’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester United.
United goalkeeper David de Gea, Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta, Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal and David Silva of Manchester City are the Premier League players who have made Julen Lopetegui’s 23-man squad.
Morata, who struggled during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, is joined by his Chelsea team-mates Cesc Fabregas and Marcos Alonso in missing out on a ticket to Russia.
Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin, Atletico Madrid forward Vitolo and Bayern Munich midfielder Javi Martinez are also surprise omissions.
● Midfielder Radja Nainggolan has announced his international retirement after being left out of a Belgium squad packed with Premier League talent.
England’s Group G rivals, managed by former Wigan and Everton boss Roberto Martinez, named a long-list of 28 players – 15 of whom play their club football in England – with no room for Roma star Nainggolan.
Joining the expected big names such as Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Romelu Lukaku are Celtic’s Dedryck Boyata, Michy Batshuayi, whose loan from Chelsea to Borussia Dortmund was cut short by ankle ligament injury, out-of-form Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke and Nacer Chadli of West Brom.
But 30-year-old Nainggolan, who helped propel his club past Barcelona to the Champions League semi-finals, where he scored in a thrilling second leg against Liverpool, reacted to his snub by quitting.