JOIN USSpain'sattacking midfielder JuanMata knows he is unlikely tomake Vicente del Bosque'sstarting line-up despite beingone of Chelsea's best players.Mata, who would walk intomost teams at Euro 2012, is battling with talented and experienced players like Andres Iniesta, David Silva and CescFabregas for a place against Italy in Sunday's Group Copener in Gdansk, Poland.
Amidsuchstiff competition,he is realistic about hischances. But the 24-year-oldsaid hewas focusedongettinghimself in peak form. "It's truethat I played a lot of minutesat Chelsea this season and felt like an important player,"Mata told a news conference on Thursday at Spain's training base in Gniewino.
"I just need to keep working now to try and get into the starting 11 for the national
team,"headded."Butthereare a lot of players who have beenhere a long time who have also earned that right. "Whether I am playing or not playing I will always be supporting the team as we all have the same goal which is to win the competition."
Even if Mata is not among DelBosque'sfirst choices,he is the kind of impact player any coach would be thrilled to have on the bench.
AnotherisPedro,whoseseasonatBarcelonawas disrupted by injury but who began towards the end of the campaign to showtheform that won him a place in the 2010World Cup
final team. "Logically, at some moments I saw myself not making the team (for Euro
2012),"Pedro said. "
But luckily I was able to end the season with confidence and in the King's Cup final I felt very good," added the 24-year-old.
"The coach will decide if I can contribute to the team and I will be working 100 percent towards the moment he decides I am able to play."