Slovakia vs. Spain: Key Issues That Will Shape Euro 2016 Qualifier
Spain travel to the Stadion MSK Zilina on Thursday to take on Slovakia in the second round of Euro 2016 Group C qualifiers.
Vicente del Bosque's men made a successful start to their qualifying campaign in early September, thrashing a vastly inferior Macedonia outfit 5-1 in Valencia. Slovakia, however, will prove to be a significantly sterner test for La Roja, who are undergoing a gradual rebuilding process after a tumultuous campaign at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Across the following slides, we examine four key issues that will shape Thursday's clash.
Sergio Ramos' Absence
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After sustaining a calf injury during Real Madrid's 5-0 rout of Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, Sergio Ramos has been ruled out of Spain's pair of Euro 2016 qualifiers with Slovakia and Luxembourg, replaced in the side by Barcelona's Marc Bartra.
Ramos' absence is a blow for Del Bosque, who will have hoped to have full use of an established back four as he tinkers with an approach in attack which came unstuck at the World Cup.
In Spain's last outing, Ramos formed a partnership with the versatile Raul Albiol in the demolition of Macedonia and also found his way onto the scoresheet with an impressively taken penalty.
With the Real Madrid star sidelined, Del Bosque could opt for Bartra or Gerard Pique alongside Albiol, but the manager may also consider using the Barcelona pair together after they looked comfortable as a duo in a 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Return of Martin Skrtel
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Slovakia overcame Ukraine in their first Euro 2016 qualifier, edging out the hosts thanks to Robert Mak's first-half goal.
Overcoming Spain will undoubtedly be a more difficult task, but Jan Kozak's team will be boosted by the return of Martin Skrtel, who is expected to take his place in Slovakia's defence after missing the clash with Ukraine through injury.
Possessing vast Premier League experience as well as a tenacity matched by few others, the Liverpool centre-back will add strength and energy to the home side's defence as they prepare to tackle the Spanish attack that hammered Macedonia last time out.
Vicente Del Bosque's Handling of Andres Iniesta
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Andres Iniesta missed Spain's recent clashes with France and Macedonia due to injury, allowing Del Bosque to deploy Atletico Madrid's Koke as the central hub of the team.
But with the Barcelona superstar included in the squad for Thursday's qualifier against Slovakia, La Roja's boss has an extra decision to make regarding the composition of his midfield.
Interestingly, Iniesta's absence gave Del Bosque to chance to show his plans for the years ahead. The manager has suggested that Koke is the future of his midfield, while Xavi has hailed the Atleti star as his successor in the national team.
Koke was given the chance to justify those statements against France and Macedonia and did so superbly.
Iniesta's return, however, changes things somewhat for Del Bosque, given that the 30-year-old remains his finest midfielder and was easily the nation's most influential performer in what was a disastrous World Cup campaign.
Thus, does Del Bosque opt to use Iniesta as the team's creative hub? And if so, does Koke push the in-form Cesc Fabregas out of the starting lineup, or does he go to the bench himself?
How the manager organises his midfield will undoubtedly shape Thursday's clash.
Diego Costa's Fitness
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expressed his hope that star striker Diego Costa would not be included in Spain's squad for the Euro 2016 qualifiers with Slovakia and Luxembourg over concerns for the forward's hamstrings.
But while he's been included in Vicente del Bosque's squad, Costa has insisted that he won't take part in the matches unless he feels he's fully fit.
The uncertainty regarding the striker's condition presents an intriguing situation ahead of Thursday's clash.
Despite his blistering form at club level, Costa has endured significant struggles when playing for Spain, appearing uncomfortable with the side's Barcelona-like methods in attack.
Yet Del Bosque will have acknowledged the importance of integrating Costa into his team given that the Brazilian-born star is easily the most prolific and natural scorer available to him.
Thus La Roja's boss will need to weigh the necessity of playing time for Costa against the risk of possible injury for the Chelsea star, giving the manager a selection headache to contend with ahead of Thursday.
