Jordi Alba, Koke Dropped by Luis Enrique in 1st Spain Squad

Jordi Alba and Koke are among those who have been dropped by Luis Enrique after he named his first squad as Spain manager for the upcoming international break. 

Enrique named his squad on Friday:

Alba and Koke, along with Iago Aspas, represented Spain at the FIFA World Cup earlier this summer, but the trio was dropped by Enrique, who has called up Marcos Alonso, Alvaro Morata and Jose Luis Gaya instead.

Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and David Silva are also absent, having retired from international football following the tournament in Russia.

Enrique managed Alba during his time as Barcelona boss, but it seems the pair did not enjoy the best relationship during his final months at the Camp Nou, per ESPN's Samuel Marsden:

Squawka's Muhammad Butt criticised Alba's exclusion:

Marcos Alonso's call-up is not a surprise given he has produced three assists and a goal in a trio of Premier League games this season, but he and Gaya will have their work cut out to replace the Barcelona full-back's contribution on the left flank.

Dani Ceballos' inclusion could raise some eyebrows, as he only played 899 minutes last season.

Footbal writers Andrew Gaffney and David Cartlidge explained the thinking behind his selection:

Enrique's side will take on England and Croatia in the UEFA Nations League in September, and they will be hoping to perform much better than they did at the World Cup.

After Julen Lopetegui was relieved of his position as coach on the eve of the tournament, La Roja lost on penalties to hosts Russia in the last 16.

Croatia made the final, while the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, so all three will be focused on making a promising start to the Nations League.