Iker Casillas (Goalkeeper) Played second fiddle to Diego Lopez in the league last season - though he started every match in Real Madrid's Champions League winning run - and a lack of first-team football may have influenced his poor performance against the Netherlands.
Vicente del Bosque has a selection headache as his side cannot afford another slip up.
Possible Replacement
David de Gea Spain have no shortage of talent in this department, and both De Gea and Pepe Reina could handle the step up if called upon. Despite a minor injury doubt, it may well be the Manchester United player of the year who is given the nod, after proving his increasing maturity and reliability in an excellent season at Old Trafford.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Full-back)
The vastly improved Chelsea defender could not have done much to change the outcome of the Netherlands game, but the natural left-back never seemed comfortable playing on the right of Spain's back four. He could not prevent the continuous threat of Daley Blind, who ended the night with two assists.
Possible Replacement
Juanfran One of many in-form Atletico Madrid players not to be given a start, the experienced Juanfran was an ever-present figure for the Primera Division winners. His exceptional performances leave him well equipped to make a World Cup debut, and the right-back would be suited to dealing with league rival and Chile star Alexis Sanchez.
Sergio Ramos (Centre-back)
The Champions League winner and holder of over 100 caps is seen by many to be a guaranteed starter at the heart of Spain's back four. A stuttering performance against the Netherlands, though, culminated in Spain conceding five goals, and Ramos appeared out of touch with his partner Gerard Pique and the rest of the backline.
Possible Replacement
Javi Martinez Bayern Munich's versatile €40m man is used to being deployed either in midfield or defence, and he may be the change needed to sort out Spain's problem of conceding goals. Part of a Munich side which romped to the Bundesliga title, Martinez would be a competent and reliable option if asked to step into Spain's shaky back four.
Sergio Busquets Solid yet unspectacular, the Barcelona midfielder is reliable but lacks the entertaining style associated with many of his teammates. Despite his consistent selection over recent years, Del Bosque may opt for a younger, more exciting player to pair with the experienced Xavi in an attempt to give Spain's midfield an injection of energy.
Possible Replacement
Koke The 22-year-old Atletico Madrid midfielder, dubbed 'the new Xavi' would be the obvious choice to step in if Del Bosque decides to make a change in midfield. The young Spaniard had an exceptional season, racking up 13 assists to help his side to the title, whilst scoring the vital goal in the semi-final win over Barcelona in the Champions League.
Diego Costa Was not the worst of the Spanish players against the Netherlands, but questions still remain about whether he fits into a Spanish side which has gained much of its recent success without a centre-forward. The crushing defeat may convince Del Bosque to switch back to the old ways and drop Costa for the pivotal game against Chile.
Possible Replacement
Cesc Fabregas The newly signed Chelsea midfielder would have no problem slotting into the team with which he has gained so much success. Rather than trying to force Costa into the side and stunting the creativity of his midfield in doing so, Del Bosque could instead utilize Fabregas, and try to recreate the formula that has brought him so much success.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article