“I want to play” — Oyarzabal dismisses rest talk as Spain eye Round of 32 vs Uruguay

Oyarzabal shrugs off injury worry

Spain’s Oyarzabal plays through soreness, praises Lamine’s ‘chaos’ ahead of Uruguay clash.

Oyarzabal fit for Uruguay decider, says Lamine Yamal ‘makes biggest difference in the world...’

“I'm fine, though a bit sore,” Oyarzabal said during a press conference on Tuesday. “But everyone has a niggle or two when they're in a tournament like this. I'm calm, I'm fine.”

He admitted there had been a brief moment of concern, but the forward reassured everyone that the alarm had passed.

Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal is battling some soreness but staying level-headed and uninterested in rest. With Spain set to face Uruguay, he’s counting on teammate Lamine Yamal to keep creating chaos at the World Cup.

Oyarzabal made an impact in Spain’s 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Sunday, scoring twice and assisting Lamine. Speaking to the media three days before the Group H decider against Uruguay, he said the discomfort he felt after the match isn’t enough to make him think about sitting out.

When asked whether he could be rested for the Uruguay match, Oyarzabal added: “As far as I'm concerned, I want to play; I'm feeling fine.”

Oyarzabal anticipates Uruguay will play with the grit and competitive spirit he says are characteristic of South American teams.

He noted that Spain need to focus on their own performance and not get sidetracked by different scenarios, though he admitted the draw can’t be completely ignored.

Spain will advance to the Round of 32 as group winners if they defeat Uruguay, and a draw should also be sufficient to see them through.