Yamal 'on his way to being a legendary player', says Spain boss De la Fuente

Lamine Yamal is already on the path to becoming a legend of the game and "never ceases to amaze", Luis de la Fuente declared after Spain's win over Czechia on Saturday.

La Roja remain top of Nations League Group A3 with maximum points after three games, having held off a second-half fightback from Czechia to win 3-1 in Oviedo.

First-half goals from Barcelona duo Yamal and Rodri put Spain in a commanding position, though Czechia later had them on the ropes following Jiri Slama's goal, only for Ladislav Krejci's red card and a late strike from Mikel Merino to end their comeback hopes.

Yamal's opening goal was a trademark left-footed curler from the right corner of the area, after he exchanged passes with club-mate Dani Olmo.

He now has 12 goals in his last nine games for club and country combined (four for Spain in the Nations League, eight for Barcelona in all competitions), with a 3-1 LaLiga win over Sevilla being the only game in which he has failed to find the net in that period.

Asked if he was ever surprised by Yamal's production in his post-match press conference, De la Fuente said: "He never ceases to amaze us all. 

"He is so talented, there is much more to see of the best version of Lamine.

"He is growing by leaps and bounds. He is a reference for the national team, a player with great weight, and we have to celebrate him."

Asked about Yamal's Ballon d'Or prospects, with just over three weeks left before the award ceremony in London, De la Fuente added: "If he were the only Spaniard among the nominees, I would tell him that he is the best in the world. 

"He does everything well. If he is not the best because of competition with other Spaniards, he is one of the best. But he is on the way to being a legendary player."

Yamal was one of two players to be substituted at half-time, alongside Alex Baena, with De la Fuente looking to keep his attackers fresh ahead of Tuesday's trip to Croatia.

La Roja's performance levels dipped sharply after the interval, as they only registered five shots and 0.75 expected goals, compared to 13 attempts and 1.35 xG in the first period.

But De la Fuente insists it was necessary to manage the winger's load, saying: "We take care of Lamine exactly the same as the other players. 

"We do not make a distinction. We take care of everyone equally. 

"We thought that the game would go in a different direction, but we wanted to take away some minutes from his load, so that he could stay in the best condition."