World Cup 2018: Spain's 5 Key Players to Watch

Spain produces so many great talents; an assembly line of players ready to wear the shirt of La Furia Roja. But only 23 can go to the FIFA World Cup and that is a crying shame for a country that has enough players to make two teams capable of competing at the tournament.

Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui had a tough task on his hands and, eventually, he has named a squad that many believe has the potential to go far in the tournament. But who are the key players for Spain at the World Cup?

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#5 David De Gea

David De Gea is Spain's undisputed no.1

After his heroics in 2010, it was disheartening to see Iker Casillas reduced to a hollow shell of his former self when he was eviscerated by the Netherlands in 2014. That 5-1 loss suffered by the defending champions spelled doom for many in that squad and Casillas was one of many who made way for the younger generation coming through.

Enter David De Gea. The Manchester United no.1 has been the club's best player for years now and would probably have had a Champions League medal or two to his name if not for that damned fax machine.

De Gea has been Spain's no.1 since Euro 2016 and Lopetegui will hope that he can bring his club form to the international stage too. Arguably the best shot-stopper in the Premier League, he has come a long way since his debut season where he was prone to mistakes.

Spain conceded only three goals in 10 matches in the World Cup qualifiers. And De Gea played a huge role in ensuring Spain topped the group ahead of Italy.

#4 Marco Asensio

Marco Asensio could be Spain's impact substitute

Real Madrid's rising star Marco Asensio is only 22 but he has actually played more minutes than Isco and Gareth Bale in La Liga for his 6 goals and 6 assists. 2016/17 saw him break into the first team but 2017/18 has been his breakthrough season, with Asensio finishing with 10 goals in all competitions.

The only issue is that Asensio has only just broken into the Spain team. So making it into the starting lineup may be a step too far for the youngster.

However, like Zidane, Lopetegui could look to use Asensio as an impact substitute. Whether Real are ahead or behind, Asensio puts pressure on defenders and can be incisive when it matters the most.

Spain do not have many forwards to choose from. They are a midfield-heavy side and Asensio's unique ability to get forward and make himself available to shoot will be crucial to breaking down the opposition.

A man who usually delivers on the big occasions (as his goals in the Champions League in the last two seasons have shown), nothing gets bigger than the World Cup.

#3 Isco

Sergio Ramos knows how valuable Isco's right foot is

There was a time this season when critics asked one simple question: why didn't Isco play more minutes for Real Madrid? The midfielder was Spain's top goalscorer with five goals in the qualifiers but played fewer than 1,800 minutes in La Liga when he used to average more than 2,000.

Of course, one can't blame Zinedine Zidane considering the wealth of attacking talent he had at his disposal. Nevertheless, Isco seems a different class of player when he trades the all-white shirt for the fiery red kit of Spain.

One of his best performances this season came when he grabbed a hat-trick against Argentina during the international break in March. Lionel Messi did not play in the 6-1 demolition but Isco played like a man possessed to lead Spain to victory.

His clever runs in the final third, his close-quarter control, and unselfishness are what will be key to Lopetegui's new-look Spain. They play a lot more direct than a Del Bosque side and his vertical movement will be required to unlock defences.

#2 Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos will be playing in his fourth World Cup

Starting his career as Spain's right-back, Sergio Ramos has come a long way since making his debut as an 18-year-old. It really does seem like he has been there forever, considering he received his first cap in 2005.

Fast forward to 2018 and Ramos will be playing in his fourth World Cup for La Furia Roja. Just recently he was feted by the Spanish Football Federation when he made his 150th appearance for the national team.

That makes him the most experienced member of the squad even though he is not the oldest. Andres Iniesta and David Silva are older but have 125 and 119 caps respectively.

Following the amount of abuse that has come his way after his foul on Mohamed Salah saw the Egyptian injure his shoulder in the Champions League final, one must wonder if he will be in the right frame of mind for the World Cup.

Although not one to be perturbed by criticism, reports claim his family has been on the receiving end of death threats to their personal phone numbers. The entire family has reportedly had to change their numbers.

Nevertheless, Ramos (and Gerard Pique) will have to stand strong - especially when they face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the group stage. And don't forget, he can even make himself useful at the other end on set-pieces too. He is actually the third-highest goalscorer in this current squad with 13 goals.

#1 David Silva

David Silva is Spain's top goalscorer in this squad

With 35 goals for Spain, David Silva is the highest goalscorer in this squad. With strikers such as David Villa and Fernando Torres no longer in the frame and Diego Costa still finding his feet with the Spanish squad, the goalscoring burden fell on players such as Silva to find goals.

What makes Silva so special is his ability to adapt to the needs of the national team. While he now plays in a central midfield role for Manchester City alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Silva can slot into a wide forward role and mesh seamlessly with the players on the field.

Be it a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1, Silva manages to excel in his advanced midfield or wide forward role. His ability to find space to shoot or set up a teammate in a crowd is what makes him dangerous.

Silva has had a roller-coaster of a season. While City did win the Premier League and League Cup, the Spaniard also had to contend with his prematurely-born son's health. Now that he is all well, Silva should play with a clear head and make Spain a lethal team at the World Cup.