Fabian Ruiz leaves Spain camp for the birth of his first child

Some absences have nothing to do with soccer, and this is one of them. Fabian Ruiz left Spain's national team camp in Oviedo this Saturday to fly to Paris, where his first child is about to be born. So for once, the reason for his withdrawal isn't a muscle issue or a tactical call: it's something far more important.

The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder departed shortly before kickoff of the match against Czechia in the UEFA Nations League, which was being played right there at the Carlos Tartiere stadium. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) itself confirmed the news, making clear that Fabian would not be available for that game.

What's still unknown is whether he'll make it back in time for Spain's next assignment in this international window: the match against Croatia, set for Tuesday the 6th in Split. The Federation hasn't given any details about a possible return, so it remains to be seen whether the midfielder rejoins the squad or simply stays in Paris to enjoy the first days with his newborn son.

A camp with more absences than expected

Fabian's departure isn't the only surprise the head coach has had to deal with these past few days. This same camp had already seen Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, Alejandro Grimaldo and Eric Garcia all leave earlier, each for different physical issues that ruled them out of contention.

Also on that list is Pedro Porro, the Tottenham fullback, who never even joined the group due to a prior injury. Between one absence and another, Spain has kept losing players throughout this October window, forcing the coaching staff to shuffle pieces as it faces these two Nations League matches.

Amid so many injury absences, Fabian's is viewed differently in the locker room: nobody complains about losing a player when the reason is the arrival of a child. For now, it's a matter of waiting for news from Paris and seeing how Spain manages the rest of the window with the players it has available.