Chelsea fans were thrilled on Wednesday afternoon after it was revealed that Cesar Azpilicueta had been handed his first start of Euro 2020.
The Chelsea defender, who lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy with the Blues last season, was selected in Luis Enrique’s 26-man squad for the tournament.
Despite that, he had not been afforded a minute of action in Spain’s opening two group matches against Sweden and Poland.
That all changed on Wednesday though with the 31-year-old selected to start at right-back in his nation’s key match against Slovakia in Seville.
In the process, he will earn the 26th cap of his international career and his first major tournament outing since Euro 2016, having been an unused substitute for Spain during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Chelsea fans were delighted to have seen Azpilicueta handed the opportunity and were certainly optimistic of his chances of impressing against Slovakia.
They took to social media on Wednesday following the announcement of the team to express their thoughts.
It is certainly no surprise to have seen the Chelsea man called into the starting line-up considering his experience in what is a crucial game for Spain.
As it stood ahead of kick-off, Enrique’s men were sat in third in Group E having drawn each of their opening two games.
A win could potentially lift them up to top spot, whilst a defeat or a draw could see them eliminated from the competition altogether depending on Sweden’s clash with Poland in St Petersburg.
