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David Raya is in Spain's roster for the World Cup, alongside other top goalkeepers Unai Simon and Joan Garcia. Despite his form for Arsenal, Raya is far from being a nailed-on starter in their opening match against Cabo Verde today.
Gunners fans will have to wait until an hour before kick-off to find out whether their Premier League-winning keeper will be playing or not. The match will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 5 pm BST.
Is David Raya expected to play for Spain tonight?
It is not expected that Raya will start for Spain tonight. This is due to their manager, Luis de la Fuente, tending to stick with Simon since he has been in charge of the national team.
There are no injury concerns in the Spain camp. De la Fuente picked what looked to be his strongest XI to start their recent friendly match with Peru. We will find out if the manager is to make any changes at 3:45 pm BST today. Spain's lineup will be announced on their official X account: @SEFutbol.
Spain's goalkeeper depth chart at the World Cup
Goalkeeper | Club | Caps | Current squad role |
|---|---|---|---|
David Raya | Arsenal | 13 | Second-choice |
Unai Simon | Athletic Bilbao | 58 | First-choice |
Joan Garcia | Barcelona | 2 | Third-choice |
Raya is currently second in the goalkeeping pecking order to Simon. Raya, at 30, is a year older than Simon, but the Athletic Bilbao keeper is far more experienced at the international level than the Arsenal man. Garcia, who is 25, is still young for a keeper and certainly has potential for the future.
Simon was Spain's starting keeper when they won the European Championship in 2024. This is why De la Fuente trusts the Bilbao player.
Why David Raya's role matters for Arsenal supporters
Raya has been excellent for Arsenal since joining the club in 2023. He quickly won over supporters who were initially unhappy to see him replace the popular Aaron Ramsdale. Raya has now won the Premier League Golden Glove in the three seasons he has been with the Gunners.
The keeper has now won the division, along with those individual awards. This was Arsenal's first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season, when they had Jens Lehmann in goal. Raya is regarded by many as the best keeper in the world right now.
Raya also helped the Gunners make it to the Champions League final in the season just passed. Many supporters value their club over their national team. Therefore, certain Arsenal fans will be paying close attention to whether their keeper will be in the starting lineup or not.
During the season, international breaks are often detrimental to clubs. This is due to players having no break from soccer and having to fly across the world. However, a player's confidence could be drained if they are not selected for a major tournament. It would be disappointing for Raya not to be playing for Spain, given his form for Arsenal.
How David Raya has performed for Spain recently
- Raya has played just 107 minutes for Spain this year. This came as he started against Egypt and played the second half against Peru.
- The Arsenal keeper helped keep a clean sheet against the Egyptians, but he did concede to Jairo Vélez in the match with Peru.
- Raya did not get on the field for Spain last year. You have to go back to a Nations League match in 2024 for the last time he played for his country before the games this year.
Spain team news and predicted lineup
Lamine Yamal and Neco Williams are both available for Spain. However, neither player is expected to start, given they have just come back from injuries.
Predicted Spain lineup versus Cabo Verde: Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Fabian, Rodri, Pedri; Torres, Oyarzabal, Baena
What to watch for if Raya plays tonight
Raya had a solid back four in front of him at Arsenal this season. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how well he does with players he does not train with week in and week out. One of the reasons why Raya replaced Ramsdale was his distribution. However, he may not be able to pick out players so well in a different system. Cabo Verde is not expected to cause a threat to Spain, so if Raya does play, then he will likely have little to do. If Raya does play against them, then there is no guarantee he will still play against more competitive opposition.
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