Eric García Leaves Spain Camp with Knee Discomfort: Le Normand Called Up
Barcelona defender Eric García has withdrawn from the Spain squad after feeling discomfort in his left knee in the warm-up before the 3-2 win over England at Wembley, with Atlético’s Robin Le Normand called up as his replacement.
Published 28 Sept 2026Updated 28 Sept 20262 min read
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Barcelona centre-back Eric García has withdrawn from the Spain squad after feeling discomfort in his left knee during the warm-up ahead of Sunday’s 3-2 UEFA Nations League win over England at Wembley, with tests subsequently ruling out a serious injury.
García had initially been named in Luis de la Fuente’s starting line-up, but pulled out moments before kick-off and was replaced in the side by Marc Pubill. On Sunday the Spanish Football Federation confirmed he had left the camp, announcing that Robin Le Normand, the Atlético Madrid defender, would take his place ahead of the meeting with Croatia.
Tests rule out serious damage
“The FC Barcelona centre-back felt some discomfort in his left knee and, after the tests carried out, it has been decided to withdraw him from the national team camp,” the RFEF said in a statement. The examinations revealed no serious injury, but medical staff preferred not to gamble with the national team’s upcoming commitments. García will return to Barcelona in the coming hours, where his condition will continue to be monitored.
Eric García with Spain (Photo via Getty Images embed)A key man under Flick
The news brings relief to Barcelona and Hansi Flick, for whom García has become one of the key elements of the early season, establishing himself as a regular at the heart of the defence. The priority now is to see how the 25-year-old responds over the coming days and when he can return to full training with his club.
Spain reshuffle for Croatia
For Barcelona, the calculation is straightforward: with club football paused for the international window, the coming days cost García nothing in terms of matches. The hope at the club is that this remains a short-term absence rather than a lay-off, with the defender targeting a return to full training before Barcelona’s next LaLiga fixture and the medical staff treating the knee as a caution rather than a crisis.
Spain, who edged England in a five-goal thriller at Wembley to stay in control of their Nations League group, will now continue the campaign without the Barça defender, with Le Normand providing de la Fuente an experienced, tournament-hardened alternative in the middle of the back line.
Cover photo: Eric García, 2022, by Matthew Treadwell (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped).