Hayes has started six center backs since March, and three are in camp

The Spanish federation said on Tuesday that Cata Coll had left the squad and would go back to Barcelona. Eunate Astralaga of Athletic Club takes her place. The federation counts 22 matches for Astralaga with Spain's youth teams. Its notice gave no reason for the change. The Spanish news agency EFE reported that Coll had been carrying discomfort in her quadriceps.

Coll started seven of Spain's ten matches under Sonia Bermúdez, by ESPN's lineups, including all six against England, Germany and Sweden. Adriana Nanclares started the two home qualifiers against Iceland and Ukraine. Misa Rodríguez started the away match in Ukraine. Those two and Astralaga are the goalkeepers Spain bring to Washington.

That makes seven players who have started for one of these two teams since last October and will not be at Audi Field on Saturday.

Spain's four#

Vicky López came off Spain's list on October 3, and Juventus forward Alba Redondo replaced her. EFE reported that López had stayed in the gym with physical problems on the eve of Barcelona's match against Real Madrid. Mariona Caldentey came off on October 4. ESPN's match record has her replaced "because of an injury" in first-half stoppage time of Arsenal's 4-2 loss at Manchester City that afternoon, and Liverpool midfielder Natalia Ramos, uncapped, took her place. Aitana Bonmatí was on none of the versions of the 25. U.S. Soccer's match preview says she is still recovering from an injury. The Spanish federation gave no reason for any of the three.

Caldentey started nine of Bermúdez's ten matches and López seven. Bonmatí started three, all of them last autumn, and came off the bench in both June qualifiers. Alexia Putellas started all ten and is coming. So is Patri Guijarro, who started beside her in three of the last four.

The third midfield place was Caldentey's. Clara Serrajordi is the only other midfielder on the list who has started for Bermúdez, twice, both times against Ukraine. Fiamma Benítez has come on four times. Clara Pinedo and Ramos have not played for her.

Up front, two of the three June starters are coming, Salma Paralluelo and Edna Imade. Claudia Pina started six of the ten. EFE reported that she missed Tuesday's training for tests on muscle discomfort; she is still in the squad. Redondo has one appearance under Bermúdez, as a substitute last October.

One more regular was never on the list. Olga Carmona started six of the ten at left back and is not among the 25 in any of the federation's three notices. Mapi León, who started eight at center back, is coming, and so is Irene Paredes, the captain.

The United States' three#

Naomi Girma and Emily Sonnett are injured, which Sunday's piece covered. On Tuesday Hayes said her staff was working with Chelsea to change how Girma's recurring calf injury is managed. "This has happened too often," she said. Sam Coffey came off the roster on Monday after she was hurt playing for Manchester City, and Monday's report has the details.

Coffey's place first. She started three of the last eight United States matches, going back to March 1. Claire Hutton started four and Lily Yohannes five, and in Brazil in June each had one turn as the single defensive midfielder. Hutton has started all 27 of Bay FC's NWSL matches and played 2,412 of the 2,430 minutes. Jaelin Howell, called in for Coffey, has not played for the United States since December.

Center back is where the camp and the pool come apart.

Six players started there in those eight matches. Sonnett started five and Girma four, and both are out. Kennedy Wesley started three, Tierna Davidson two and Tara Rudd one, and all three are in camp. The sixth is Emily Sams, who started beside Sonnett in the 1-0 loss to Japan on April 15. She is not in camp.

The three who are have been playing. Wesley and Rudd have started all 27 of their clubs' NWSL matches and played all 2,430 minutes. Davidson has 22 starts in 26 appearances for Gotham and 1,987 minutes. Hayes has started two of the three together once, Wesley and Rudd against Argentina on March 1, a 2-0 win. Davidson has 70 caps, Rudd 12 and Wesley seven.

Kate Del Fava, the uncapped Utah Royals defender called up on Sunday in Girma's place, has also started all 27 and played all 2,430 minutes.

Sams has started all 27 of Angel City's matches and played 2,403 minutes. She was not on the May 27 roster for Brazil or the September 29 roster for Spain, and she was not the call when Girma came off. U.S. Soccer has not published a reason. Its September 30 story on the roster names four injured players, and she is not one of them.

So of the six center backs Hayes has started since March, two are hurt, three are in camp and one is playing every week for Angel City.

I expect Wesley to start on Saturday. She started more of the eight matches than Davidson or Rudd, and she has not missed a league minute this season.

Spain play at Audi Field in Washington on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, and at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Sources: Emma Hayes to reporters in Fayetteville, Georgia, October 6, 2026, as reported by ESPN (Jeff Kassouf); Spanish federation squad notices, October 3, 4 and 6, 2026; EFE, October 3 and October 6, 2026, as published by Infobae; U.S. Soccer, "USWNT vs. Spain: Opponent Profile, Recent Form & History," October 6, 2026; U.S. Soccer release on Jaelin Howell's call-up, October 5, 2026, for the current roster and caps; U.S. Soccer release on Kate Del Fava's call-up, October 4, 2026; U.S. Soccer roster releases, May 27 and September 29, 2026; U.S. Soccer, "Emma Hayes on October Roster," September 30, 2026; ESPN lineups for Spain's ten matches from October 24, 2025, to June 9, 2026, and for the United States' eight matches from March 1 to June 9, 2026; ESPN match record for Manchester City against Arsenal, October 4, 2026; ESPN NWSL season statistics for Claire Hutton, Kennedy Wesley, Tara Rudd, Tierna Davidson, Kate Del Fava and Emily Sams.