Newly-appointed Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has tipped Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca as a possible replacement for Sergio Busquets when the long-serving midfielder steps away from international duty.
Despite completing a £10 million move to Elland Road in July, Roca could not earn a place in Luis Enrique's squad for the, ultimately unsuccessful, FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Perhaps fortunately for Roca, Enrique's contract was not renewed by the RFEF after his side crashed out of the tournament on penalties to Morocco. de la Fuente has been named as his successor, being promoted from the nation's under-21 set-up.
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Naturally, questions surrounding Busquets' international future have begun to emerge at the age of 34. And whilst it appears the Barcelona man is willing to continue, for the time being, de la Fuente has full faith in potential midfield replacements.
“I’m happy that Busquets wants to continue and of course, I count on him, he’s a living history of football and not just in the past, in the present and the future and he can still contribute to Spanish football," said de la Fuente at his unveiling as the new head coach.
"There is Rodri, who has a stratospheric level, Zubimendi, Marc Roca [as future replacements]. We have very good players in all positions and that's why I'm calm. To simplify, I'm talking about numbers.
"The 8 and the 10 have more arrival [in the area], I like the [central] players to arrive and the 6 is the figure of that player who stays to extinguish the fires that can be created in an opponent's counterattack."
de la Fuente will, undoubtedly, be familiar with Roca's capabilities, having worked with him during Spain's 2019 UEFA European Championship success.
Nevertheless, replacing Busquets remains a stern task. Since making his international debut in 2009, the three-time Champions League winner boasts 134 caps and formed a major part of Vicente del Bosque's squads that claimed the 2010 World Cup and 2012 UEFA European Championship.
Roca, however, has displayed an eagerness to solidify his place within the national team after quitting Bayern Munich to guarantee regular game-time in Yorkshire this summer.
His chances of featuring under de la Fuente will be enhanced by the 61-year-old's preference to operate with a double midfield pivot, something that is mirrored by Leeds boss Jesse Marsch.
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