Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said he planned to make some changes to his starting line-up for the European champions’ 2010 World Cup qualifier against Turkey in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Del Bosque started with strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa in Saturday’s 1-0 victory against the Turks in Madrid but said he was considering using only one forward in front of a five-man midfield for the trip to Turkey.
“There will be some changes to freshen things up,” the former Real Madrid coach told a news conference in Istanbul.
Midfielders Albert Riera and David Silva could start, he added. The pair would occupy the wide spots in a five-strong midfield with Xavi playing just in front of Marcos Senna and Xabi Alonso in the centre.
Spain, who top the world rankings, lead qualifying Group Five with a maximum 15 points from five matches ahead of Bosnia on nine and Turkey with eight. If Spain win on Wednesday they would be almost certain of a place in South Africa next year.
Del Bosque said defenders Carlos Marchena and Alvaro Arbeloa could also be in the starting line-up after they watched Saturday’s match from the bench.
“We can relax with this team as it has always responded to the biggest challenges,” he said.
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