Bojan explains Spain U20 absence

Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic insists injury is the sole reason he pulled out of Spain’s Under-20 World Cup squad.

Bojan has been sidelined since August 31 when he tore a muscle in his leg in the Primera Division match against Sporting Gijon, but returned to action against Almeria at the weekend.

His return sparked debate as to why the 19-year-old had not travelled to Egypt to help Spain out in the second part of the World Cup, which is set to end on October 16, with some even suggesting Bojan played up his injury.

However, the youngster insists the decision not to include him in the squad was made by the coaching staff.

“The matter of my injury is clear: I fell on the day of the Sporting game,” he told AS.

“Then when I was with the Under-20 side, it was the second time the doctors saw me. They repeated the tests on me and the results revealed there continued to be a tear and that would make me miss out on the first stages of the World Cup.

“We talked about it with all the parties and decided it was best that I recovered at my club and that the national team would call up a striker who would be in the best conditions from the beginning.”