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Updated Tuesday June 6, 2000
Raul out of Spain's final warm-up match

TEGELEN, Netherlands, June 6 (Reuters) - Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho sprang a surprise on Tuesday as he left Raul Gonzalez out of his squad for Wednesday's final warm-up game against Luxembourg.

Raul Gonzalez
Raul: Missed last gasp penalty
(BenRadford/Allsport)
Raul, who has not played a competitive match since suffering a thigh muscle strain in Real Madrid's 3-0 Champions League final victory over Valencia last month, had been expected to figure in the Luxembourg game despite not quite being at full fitness.

But Camacho decided on Tuesday not to risk aggravating the problem and included him among the six players left behind at the team's base as the rest of the squad set off for Luxembourg by coach.

Pep Guardiola, Ismael Urzaiz, Jose Francisco Molina, Paco Jemez and Michel Salgado were the other players left to sit out the match.

Those five all started Saturday's 1-1 draw against Sweden on Saturday and are expected to play in Spain's first Euro 2000 match against Norway on June 13.

Raul is also pencilled in for that match but his struggle to overcome what is thought to be no more than a minor injury will be a worry for Camacho.

Spanish squad doctor Genaro Borras still expects him to be fit for the Norway game but, after missing both the warm-up games, Raul will be going into the match without any competitive action for three weeks.

'The injury has improved a lot over recent days but he's still not at 100 percent,' said Dr Borras. 'In two or three days he should be fine, though.'

Camacho will now look for one of his secondary strikers to fill the void left by Raul. Real Betis forward Alfonso Perez looked a little out of touch in the draw against Sweden and he may be given a further chance to impress.

Possible team:

Santiago Canizares; Juan Velasco, Abelardo Fernandez, Fernando Hierro, Sergi Barjuan; Gaizka Mendieta, Gerard Lopez, Vicente Engonga, Juan Carlos Valeron; Pedro Munitis, Alfonso Perez.

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