(Reuters) – Bournemouth centre back Dean Huijsen received a first call-up to the Spain squad on Monday after Barcelona’s Inigo Martinez suffered an injury ahead of their Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands.
The 19-year-old Dutch-born Huijsen, who is having an impressive season with Bournemouth as they chase European football, represented the Netherlands at youth levels before switching to Spain Under-21s.
A product of the Juventus academy, Huijsen joined Bournemouth in July and has made 27 appearances for the Premier League club.
“Inigo Martinez has been ruled out of the Spanish national team squad due to a right knee problem,” the Royal Spanish Football Federation said in a statement.
“In his place, (Spain manager) Luis de la Fuente has called up Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth.”
Spain, who won last year’s European Championship, travel to Rotterdam to face the Dutch in the first leg of the Nations League quarters on Thursday before hosting them at the Mestalla Stadium on March 23.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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