Spain coach Montse Tomé has said Aitana Bonmatí’s surprise omission from the latest La Roja squad is because the Barcelona midfielder needs a break amid increasing concerns about player welfare across football.
A rise in injuries in both the men’s and the women’s game has cast the spotlight on the number of games players are being asked to play.
Bonmatí represented Spain at the Olympic Games in the summer and has played seven of Barça’s eight matches this season, but she did miss the match against Madrid CFF on Oct. 5 due to a minor injury.
“We have spoken with Barcelona and with Aitana and we believe what she needs is to rest,” Tomé told a news conference on Thursday.
“The national team have always looked out for the health of the players first. As a coaching staff, we comprehensively follow all players in all leagues and try to call up those that can be at their best [physically].”
Tomé has also opted against calling up Bonmatí’s teammate Irene Paredes, who only recently returned from an injury layoff but has featured in Barça’s last four fixtures.
However, Tomé said that the decision to leave out the central defender, one of Spain’s captains, is a “sporting” one.
Barça forward Salma Paralluelo is among those to miss out through injury, but the likes of Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso are included in the squad.
World champions Spain will play two friendlies in the upcoming international break, at home to Canada on Oct. 25 and away against Italy on Oct. 29.
Earlier this week, European football chiefs and the global players’ union, FIFPRO, united to criticise FIFA over the global football calendar as they filed an antitrust complaint against the global football governing body.
FIFPRO and the European Leagues, which represents 37 domestic leagues, jointly filed the complaint at the European Commission in Brussels in which they argue global football’s governing body FIFA is abusing its right as both tournament organiser and regulator.
The complaint was related to the calendar in the men’s game, and the introduction of a new Club World Cup next summer, but there are similar concerns in the women’s game.