Yellow cards no problem for Del Bosque

Spain manager Vicente del Bosque is unfazed that his first-choice full-backs are both carrying bookings into the Croatia match.

Alvaro Arbeloa and Jordi Alba are both on one yellow card, meaning they are running the risk of being suspended for the quarter-finals if the reigning champions progress from Monday’s Euro 2012 Group C match.

However, Del Bosque insists that losing either to a one-game ban would not be catastrophic given the squad’s strength in depth, including Barcelona winger Pedro.

“We would play with three centre-backs or we would send a central defender to play on the left, or use Pedro,” the former Real Madrid boss told Cadena SER.

“We have plenty of solutions which offer guarantees.”

It has been suggested that Spain could rest some players against Croatia given they need only a draw to reach the knockout stages, but Del Bosque insists that he is treating the game like a final.

“We have people in the squad who want to play and would have no problem at all if they were to come in,” he said.

“But at the moment I won’t ‘preserve’ any of my players.

“We are playing a final. And if we get to the quarter-finals, there will be another.”

Del Bosque has agreed a new two-year contract with the world and European champions and said there was never any danger of him leaving his post.

“It was already done; it just needed the formality of the signature,” he said.

“But Monday and the short term is more important (than looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup).”