Real Madrid starlet on the radars of Spain national team for March’s international break | OneFootball

It has been a special season for Raul Asencio, as he has enjoyed his breakthrough at Real Madrid, establishing himself in the first-team setup under Carlo Ancelotti.

The 21-year-old Canary Islands centre-back got his opportunity due to the injury-enforced absences of key defenders like Eder Militao and David Alaba, and he has made the most of it.

Asencio has been growing in stature week after week and was brilliant in the Merengues’ last two matches against Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

A Spain call-up on the horizon?

Now, AS reports that Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has taken notice of Asencio ahead of next month’s international break.

The national team coach was pleasantly surprised by the Real Madrid academy graduate’s performance vs. Manchester City.

While Robin Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte remain De la Fuente’s first-choice pairing, the coach has tested other centre-backs such as Inigo Martínez, David Garcia, Nacho Fernandez, Pau Torres, and Dani Vivian, among others.

However, Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi and Real Madrid’s Asencio could be the two defenders to replace the Le Normand-Laporte pair in the future.

Making a big impression. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Spain’s next squad will be announced in March, for the upcoming UEFA Nations League semi-final qualifiers against the Netherlands.

Speaking to the media recently, the Spain manager did highlight Asencio’s positive performances but insisted that a call-up could be tricky given the plethora of options at his disposal.

“He’s a very good player. He is playing and having game-time now, which is what we need. He’s playing very well and had a very good game against City,” he said.

“It’s very difficult to get into the national team. There are very good players in all Spanish teams.”

De la Fuente must decide whether to include Asencio in those matches or to send him to the Under-21 team managed by Santi Denia, with the plan of bringing him back into the senior team afterwards.

Real Madrid, already short of central defenders, wll be watching the situation closely as Asencio’s potential call-up to the national team, whether for the senior squad or the U-21s, poses a risk at a time in the season when his presence is crucial for his club.