Iniesta back for Spain’s crucial World Cup match against Chile

Iniesta available for Spain’s WCup match vs. Chile

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa — Andres Iniesta is fit and eager to return for Spain’s crucial World Cup match against Group H leader Chile on Friday.

Having Iniesta would be a huge boost for the European champions, but it comes with a small dilemma for coach Vicente del Bosque.

“Yesterday I trained well, I felt well and I could do everything normally,” Iniesta said Wednesday. “There’s still today and tomorrow’s (training), but the feelings are very good about being available. Whether I start is up to the coach.”

While having Iniesta back is positive news for Spain, the Barcelona playmaker’s likely insertion into the starting lineup will mean more player changes, something which concerned critics after the opening 1-0 loss to Switzerland.

Chile leads Group H with six points, Spain and Switzerland have three points apiece and Honduras has zero. Spain’s best chance of advancing is to win. Despite opening with two victories, Chile still risks elimination if Spain and Switzerland both win on Friday and finish with better goal differentials.

“Chile will play its game and try to complicate things,” Iniesta said. “We know their positives and their defects, but what’s most important is that we play our game.”

Spain’s failure to convert its dominance in its first two matches into more goals has been a major topic in South Africa, with questions asked about the impact of del Bosque’s tinkering with the lineup.

“I don’t see big differences,” Iniesta said. “I don’t see anything bad. Now, we just have to focus on what we’re doing and the things we need to improve, focusing on the things we do well. The debates, the questions — the situation is what it is.”

While former coach Luis Aragones used one holding midfielder working with five attacking players, his replacement Del Bosque has used both Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets as defensive players. That’s cut the pace of Spain’s game as its attack has one less player.

“Everyone has the right to an opinion, to say how they see the team. Maybe we don’t agree, but what is certain is that we can’t start having doubts or discussions about what one person or another says,” Iniesta said. “We’re clear about what we have to do. Nothing is more important than talking about Chile and beating Chile.”

Statistics show Spain has stayed true to its Euro 2008 form, with a better possession advantage, more shots, fewer lost balls and fouls than its competition. It just hasn’t converted that into goals as it did in Austria.

“I know what works for us, we know that our biggest strength is to hold the ball, get it forward quickly and be effective,” Iniesta said. “There’s no secret that our (game) is about possession. We’ll try to play our game — it’s not important what Chile does but what we do.”

Iniesta was the only player to start all six of Spain’s Euro 2008 matches and is a key player again. But the 26-year-old has been hampered by leg injuries since playing in Barcelona’s 2-0 Champions League final win over Manchester United in May 2009. Iniesta played despite a muscle tear in his right thigh, and hasn’t been able to completely overcome that injury since.

After being Spain’s most creative player for 77 minutes against the Swiss, Iniesta came off with a right leg problem.

His return will bring up questions about the starting lineup with Fernando Torres misfiring on his return, and Cesc Fabregas and David Silva both starting on the bench against Honduras.

David Villa, who has scored both of Spain’s goals so far, is certain to start after FIFA cleared the striker of any offense for putting his hand across the face of Honduras defender Emilio Izaguirre in Monday’s game.