For all Vicente del Bosque's confidence that he has the right balance of experience and youth to return Spain to their familiar place on the winner's rostrum, questions remain about his best starting line-up ahead of Euro 2016.
'It wasn't easy, but I called him last night (Sunday) and we had a difficult and tough conversation. I feel bad as he's a player who has always been at the top level and has a future with the national team.'
Images from Saturday's Premier League action.
Goalkeeper De Gea was forced to leave the field during Spain's Euro 2020 qualifier against Sweden on Tuesday.
Manchester United's top-four aspirations suffered a setback as Louis van Gaal's side were blown away 3-0 by Everton.
IMAGES from EPL matches played on Thursday.
Russia's penalty shootout hero, goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, thanked God, luck and the Luzhniki Stadium crowd for bringing the hosts home safely against Spain on Sunday to reach their first World Cup quarter-final since 1970.
- 'The match epitomised our season really' - 'Today we were the better side in the first half but you can't concede the goals we did'
United are four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, with a game in hand, as they search for a way into the top four and a place in next season's Champions League.
Five talking-points from the Premier League weekend after Manchester United extended their winning run against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool were made to work hard for their win at Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal losing at West Ham United.
A goal in added time by Diego Costa earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday and preserved Guus Hiddink's unbeaten record while denying Dutch compatriot Louis van Gaal victory.
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea added another heart-stopping save to his collection as his team held a highly-impressive Sevilla side to a 0-0 draw away from home in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.
Liverpool's first loss of the season means they cannot finish the campaign unbeaten to match Arsenal's 'Invincibles' of 2003-04.
A summary of Saturday's action in the Premier League.
English Premier League champions Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 win over struggling Manchester United in their derby at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Mourinho not concerned by Manchester United's slow pre-season
Should the Portugal forward triumph, he will equal the record of his great rival and five-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who is also nominated.
Chelsea pair Diego Costa and Eden Hazard were named on Thursday on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.
Timo Werner scored his first goal of the season as a much-changed Chelsea side crept into the fourth round of the League Cup by beating Aston Villa 4-3 on penalties after the Stamford Bridge clash ended 1-1 on Wednesday.
New Everton boss Sean Dyche's reign began with a shock 1-0 victory over English Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Holders Spain were knocked out of Euro 2016 in a 2-0 defeat by Italy on Monday after goals by Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle set up a quarter-final with world champions Germany. Chiellini opened the scoring after 33 minutes while Pelle wrapped up the victory in stoppage time to end Spain's reign as European champions which covered the 2008 and 2012 tournaments.
Manchester United's revival came to a disappointing end as Bournemouth forward Joshua King's goal on the stroke of halftime earned a 1-0 victory on a blustery south coast on Saturday.
Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this eye-catching photo feature.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is more worried about avoiding injuries on a poor pitch in Beijing than he is about winning their pre-season derby against Manchester City in the International Champions Cup (ICC). Mourinho criticised the conditions at the Bird's Nest stadium where torrential rain is forecast for next 24 hours. "I think Beijing is unlucky because the pitch is very wet," the manager told reporters on Sunday.
Woeful defending led to two Brighton goals in two first-half minutes as 34-year-old Glenn Murray and Shane Duffy outsmarted United's 117 million pound ($149.21 million) back four to demonstrate why manager Jose Mourinho had sought to upgrade it.
Daley Blind's injury-time equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw for Manchester United against West Ham United on Sunday but a point was not enough to regain third spot in the Premier League.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was delighted with the discipline of his team, who ended United's 19-game unbeaten run.
Premier League-based trio Diego Costa, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla were among a high-profile list of absentees when Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque named his provisional 25-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Costa injured his hamstring against Liverpool in Chelsea's penultimate game of the season. Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres was also absent from the squad despite his improved form towards the end of the season, as were Arsenal midfielder Cazorla and Valencia forward Paco Alcacer, Spain's top scorer in their qualifying campaign.
The fans who soured West Ham's farewell party at Upton Park on Tuesday night will be banned for life once identified, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has hinted the club may be pursuing Real Madrid's Spain defender Sergio Ramos and could also sign a "surprise" striker.
A rejuvenated Manchester United claimed a sixth win from six matches since former striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped in following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
After a tense encounter finished 1-1 following extra time, Villareal's Rulli stepped up after every on-field player scored their spot kicks and he comfortably beat Spaniard De Gea
Arsene Wenger's final match at Old Trafford as Arsenal manager ended in defeat with a stoppage time header from substitute Marouane Fellaini earning the points for second-placed Manchester United.
For all their improvement under Klopp, European champions Liverpool have not won at Old Trafford under the German
Manager reckons Manchester United still in top four race
Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin will be in Spain's Euro 2016 squad, the country's football federation said on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Bellerin and the other 18 players named to face South Korea in a friendly in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria on Wednesday, have been guaranteed spots in the European Championship squad. Bellerin was included after Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal sustained a leg muscle injury in Saturday's Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid. The Real Madrid and Atletico players in the squad will be named later on Tuesday when Spain coach Vicente del Bosque announces his final list.
Costa, Alba excluded from Spain squad
The shadow of their disappointing 2014 World Cup campaign still hangs over Spain as they prepare to defend their European Championship crown in France next month, according to coach Vicente del Bosque.
Manchester United must learn to ignore their critics as their performances may have been affected by the intense scrutiny the team have been under throughout the campaign, manager Louis van Gaal said on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur missed the chance to move up to provisional fourth place in the Premier League after relegation-threatened Newcastle United held them to a 2-2 draw with a late equaliser from substitute Joe Willock at St James' Park on Sunday. Images from EPL matches played on Sunday.
