ACL injury to competitor helps Spurs defenders international chances
By Tom Vinall
There has this weekend been a big development in terms of Spurs right-back Pedro Porro's future regarding the Spain national team.
It was this week confirmed that Porro would be called up to the Spain national team for the first time since March of this year, having been excluded from the squad for the European Championships and nations league games last month.
He was called up alongside Dani Carvajal of Real Madrid and Oscar Mingueza of Celta Vigo for the upcoming nations league fixtures against Denmark and Serbia. However, there has since been a significant development.
Carvajal ruptured his ACL on Saturday evening when playing for Real Madrid in their 2-0 victory over Villarreal in La Liga. The full-back had to be taken from the stadium in an ambulance and the worst fears from all of those at Real Madrid have now come true.
This could open the door for Porro to become the first choice right-back for the Spain national team. Mingueza is a centre-back by trade, and just isn't as good as Porro. Although, De La Fuente perhaps does not agree, with the Celta Vigo man called up to the September squad despite Porro not having the same fortunte.
Carvajal will also be 33 when he returns next year, and may never be the same, perhaps opening the door for Porro for a number of years to lock down that position.
Alarmingly, but god forbid, it may not be the only team where Porro replaces Carvajal. The Spanish giants had been linked to Porro even before this injury, and they may now feel even more inclined to make a move for the Spurs full-back. Still, they are perennially linked to Trent Alexander-Arnold, so hopefully that is the path they decide to pursue instead.
The Real Madrid full-back is the second Spanish national team to suffer such an injury recently, with the same happening to Rodri towards the end of last month.
Fans have noticed a trend where players who complain about the fixture schedule end up getting injured. Both Rodri and Carvajal criticised the football calendar not long before getting injured. On a smaller level, players such as Alisson of Liverpool and Spurs' own, Heung Min-Son, have both picked up injuries after bringing up their issues with the schedule.
Whilst of course this is just a coincidence, for those with superstitions, you will be hoping that no more Spurs players bring up the schedule anytime soon, even if they do raise significant and fair points.
All of that said, let's keep everything crosses that the potential spike in minutes for Porro over the international break does not lead to any injuries nor burnout.