Xavi, Villa & Silva Expected To Be Fit For Spain-Turkey Clash

Spain conducted their first training session yesterday ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Turkey this weekend and the main concern was the fitness of several key players, including Xavi, David Silva, David Villa and Sergio Ramos.

The Real Madrid defender and the Barcelona midfield dynamo both exercised separately from the rest of the squad to shake off their respective injuries, but the big worry was the Blaugrana man.

Having already lost Andres Iniesta due to a muscle tear in his thigh, there were concerns that Xavi would also be sidelined because of a nagging Achilles problem. But at the end of the session, team doctor Oscar Luis affirmed that the diminutive playmaker was recovering nicely.

“He is well, although he has a slight annoyance in his Achilles tendon,” the doctor told reporters.

“He will train separately and with a daily treatment of physiotherapy, we will see how he evolves. But I trust that he will be available.”

Luis was also optimistic about Villa, who is still nursing a knee problem, and Silva, who has yet to fully recover from a muscular pinch, as both were able to participate in light training.

He said, “Villa still has some discomfort in his knee but he is in the final stages of his rehabilitation and he is fit enough to be part of the training camp, although we will monitor his condition closely in the next few days.

“As for Silva, who has been undergoing a full medical examination, we are keeping in touch with his club’s medical services but we have decided that it is best for him to remain with us and we will await his development before making a decision for Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Barca centre-back Gerard Pique, who is expected to cover for his injured club-mate, Carles Puyol, in La Seleccion’s starting XI, has recovered from the flu and was able to join up with the squad one day ahead of schedule.

Spain will take on Turkey at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, March 28 at 22:00 CET before heading over to Istanbul for a second meeting four days later.