MADRID (AP) — Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos and Borussia Dortmund striker Paco Alcácer were called up Friday for Spain’s European Championship qualifiers.
Neither player had been included in the previous list by then-coach Luis Enrique, who late Thursday announced his 9-year-old daughter Xana died after a five-month battle with bone cancer. The illness led Luis Enrique to resign in June and he was replaced by former assistant Robert Moreno.
Moreno’s news conference to talk about the squad on Friday was canceled because of Xana’s death.
Spain will visit Romania on Sept. 5 and host the Faeroe Islands on Sept. 8.
Ceballos is back after impressing early on in his stint with Arsenal in the Premier League, while Alcácer has continued to be consistent in the Bundesliga, having already scored five goals in four matches this season.
In his first list, Moreno also included Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Pablo Sarabia, Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara, Atlético Madrid attacking midfielder Saúl Ñíguez, AC Milan forward Suso and Athletic Bilbao defender Unai Núñez.
Among the players left out of Moreno’s squad were Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas and Villarreal midfielder Santi Cazorla, who had been called up for the qualifiers in June, when Spain defeated the Faeroe Islands 4-1 and Sweden 3-0 to take the Group F lead with 12 points from four matches.
Players absent because of injuries include Atlético Madrid striker Álvaro Morata and Real Madrid midfielders Francisco “Isco” Alarcón and Marco Asensio.
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