Diego Costa was left out of Spain’s two matches to cure his dodgy hamstring and even Fabregas was withdrawn at the last minute as a precautionary measure. In their absence, Spain cruised to a 3-0 win over Belarus but faced a more testing fixture against World Champions Germany, losing the friendly 1-0.

Speaking before the games Del Bosque stated that their replacements would be given a chance to shine and could eventually replace them, according to the Daily Mail. He said, “It could be that when Fabregas and Costa come back another player has taken their place. That is not a threat, it’s just reality.”

His comments were in context of Sergio Ramos’ perceived attack on the duo when he questioned their commitment to the national team. Ramos said, “I just wish players had the same level of commitment to the national team as they do with their clubs.”

It is had to believe that the Chelsea duo will not be selected for matches that really count when they are in such good form for the Blues.