Almeria’s on-loan winger Suso has explained that he did want to join up with the Spain Under-21 squad, but could not through injury.
The youngster was one of Julen Lopetegui’s notable squad members to drop out for European Under-21 Championship qualifiers this month with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania.
“Lopetegui spoke to me before the squad was announced, I was overloaded and had discomfort in the groin and told him,” explained Suso this week to reporters.
“And he told me not to worry about the qualifiers, that there were more colleagues eager to go.
“I also wanted to go, but was injured and I could have recovered with them, but there was no need for that.”
Suso is spending the international break with his club instead, who are on a roll of three consecutive wins after a difficult start to life back in La Liga.
For the 19-year-old on loan from Liverpool, the break is not a disadvantage.
“To us it is okay to rest. On Thursday we have a game at Sevilla [the Trofeo Antonio Puerta] and we have no internationals.
“The other teams around us do and [Week 14 opponents Real] Madrid have them all away, so we will be good.
“Our improved form of late? Neither before were we so bad nor now are we so good. This is a team that has always done things well and now we have the points that we did not have before.”
