5 contenders vying to be Spain’s first choice right-back in the 2018 World Cup

Modified Oct 26, 2017 16:22 GMT

Juanfran has been a great servant for Spain but his days as La Furia's first choice are surely done — Juanfran has been a great servant for Spain but his days as La Furia's first choice are surely numbered

#2 César Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Dave as he is called by adoring Chelsea fans is a shoe-in for the World Cup — Dave, as he is called by adoring Chelsea fans, is a shoe-in for the World Cup

The elder statesman of the current crop (given the drop off of Juanfran), Azpilicueta is almost a certainty to be at the World Cup given his versatility, reliability and leadership qualities.

Capable of playing on either side of the defence as well as in the centre if need be, he has been an incredible servant for his club Chelsea since he joined from Olympique Marseille and is currently one of the captains in Antonio Conte’s team.

He is renowned for his ability to man-mark even the best players as well as raid the flanks delivering pinpoint crosses for the strikers to get the goals.

His experience and abilities have made him a permanent feature of the La Furia team since he made his international debut against Uruguay in 2013.

He has been capped 20 times, a low number but understandable given former coach Del Bosque’s aversion to making changes.

Lopetegui will be counting on the man whom Chelsea fans fondly call “Dave” to man the right side of the defence and provide great crosses for the strikers like he has been doing for fellow La Furia and Chelsea teammate Alvaro Morata (4 assists for the new Number 9 so far).

Edited by Amit Mishra