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De la Red earns Spain call-up

Sat 22 Mar, 01:45 PM


Getafe midfielder Ruben de la Red has been named in the Spain squad for Wednesday's international friendly against Italy in Elche.The uncapped 22-year-old has been earning rave reviews at Getafe since switching from Real Madrid last summer, and has helped Michael Laudrup's team reach the final of the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

De la Red is the only new face in Luis Aragones' 22-man squad, but midfielder David Albelda, who has been frozen out at Valencia since before Christmas, has been omitted.

Atletico Madrid defender Pablo Ibanez and Barcelona teenager Bojan Krkic also both drop out of the squad that faced France last month, while there continues to be no place for Real Madrid captain Raul, Spain's record goalscorer.

Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa has also been named again.

The former Real Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna man earned his first call-up to the national team for the friendly against France but an abdominal injury meant he was ruled out of the match.

Spain squad: Casillas (Real Madrid), Reina (Liverpool); Arbeloa (Liverpool), Ramos (Real Madrid), Albiol, Marchena (both Valencia), Capdevila (Villarreal), Navarro (Real Mallorca), Juanito (Real Betis), Puyol (Barcelona); Fabregas (Arsenal), Iniesta, Xavi (both Barcelona), Riera (Espanyol), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), De la Red (Getafe), Silva (Valencia), Senna (Villarreal); Luis Garcia (Espanyol), Torres (Liverpool), Guiza (Real Mallorca), Villa (Valencia).

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