Luis Enrique left Spain's World Cup squad in the dark over Morata decision

The Spain coach has faced criticism after leaving out the in-form striker

Luis Enrique has admitted that he did not inform Alvaro Morata that he would not be included in Spain's World Cup squad before the official announcement was made.

The Atletico Madrid striker has been in impressive form this season, scoring nine goals in 17 appearances for his club. However, he was surprisingly left out of Enrique's 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which begins next week.

Enrique has since defended his decision, saying that he did not want to "create any false hope" for Morata by informing him of his decision before the official announcement was made. However, the coach's decision has been met with criticism from some quarters, with many believing that Morata deserved to be included in the squad.

Morata is not the only player to have been left out of Enrique's squad, with Sergio Ramos and Thiago Alcantara also being notable absentees. Enrique has said that he selected his squad based on form and fitness, and that he believes that the players he has chosen are the best possible group to represent Spain at the World Cup.

Spain will begin their World Cup campaign against Costa Rica on November 23, before facing Germany and Japan in their other Group E matches. Enrique's side will be hoping to improve on their performance at the last World Cup, where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Russia.