MADRID, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Spain begin their campaign to qualify for next summer's European Championships on Saturday when they face Norway in Valencia's Mestalla Stadium.
The game will be an important test for Luis Enrique's side after their failed attempt to qualify for the final four of this year's UEFA Nations League after losing at home to England and sliding to defeat in Croatia at the end of 2018.
The coach has made several changes to his squad, with players such as Betis' creative midfielder Sergio Canales and Valencia's Dani Parejo receiving their first call up, while Sevilla's veteran right back Jesus Navas is in for the injured Dani Carvajal.
The defense is likely to be Luis Enrique's biggest headache when it comes to naming his team and the coach will have taken note of the 6 goals conceded against England and Croatia.
It seems obvious that the Spanish have still not found a natural successor to Gerard Pique following the Barcelona defender's retirement from the international scene after last summer's World Cup finals.
Sergio Ramos is certain to start in the middle alongside either his Real Madrid teammate, Nacho Fernandez or Athletic Club Bilbao's Inigo Martinez, who has been in outstanding form of late.
Jordi Alba is expected to kick off on the left, while Navas looks to have a good chance of playing as a right wing back.
Sergio Busquets remain the pivot in central midfield, where Canales and Parejo can both expect a chance to impress, while Rodrigo Moreno and probably Alvaro Morata should lead the attack.
Both Parejo and Rodrigo should feel at home playing in Mestalla, which is the home ground of their club side, Valencia, while Canales also spent time as a Valencia player, as indeed did Alba.
Luis Enrique will field his strongest side against Norway, aware of the need for a convincing win after recent disappointments and also knowing that Spain's next games (against Malta and the Faroe Islands) should give him the chance to experiment with his squad as he looks to build a team to compete in summer 2020.
