Robert Moreno: I will happily step aside if Luis Enrique wants to return as Spain boss LaLiga Has taken over as permanent coach

Robert Moreno has admitted that he'd be willing to step aside as Spain boss if Luis Enrique ever wanted to return to the role in the future.

Enrique stepped down as the national team coach earlier this year for personal reasons and revealed last Thursday that his nine-year-old daughter Xana had passed away after a bone tumour.

"It's been a difficult week," Moreno told the press ahead of Spain's Euro 2020 qualifiers against Romania and the Faroe Islands.

"We will try to give negligible joy at a very bad moment. It's the only thing we can do."

Moreno started out with the Spanish national team as Enrique's assistant before taking charge of the team on a temporary basis for the qualifiers in March and June.

He's now accepted the role full time but insisted that Enrique could have his job back if he wanted to return in the future.

"It's a very recent situation and we're not going to talk about it," Moreno said.

"I consider Luis a friend and this friendship goes ahead of everything else.

"If he wants to return one day, I will be delighted to step aside and work with him."

On the footballing side, Sergio Ramos has come under criticism for a recent dip in form and Moreno has sent out a warning to the defender.

"As it stands yes, Sergio is going to play. But I want him to think that if he's not right, he's not going to play," Moreno said.

"I'm delighted that the youngsters have Sergio beside them because he's going to help them a lot.

"We have a very good generation of centre backs and I don't think we're going to have just one good partner for Sergio, but we're going to have replacements [too].

"He has to have competition.

"I can only say good things about him from my time with him.

"He has outstanding behaviour. He's an example to all, in training, out... Sergio is the one that I'm going to demand the most from."

Dani Ceballos' form since leaving Real Madrid has earned him an inclusion in the squad and Moreno is happy that he's playing regularly.

"About his exit, I want him to play football," Moreno continued.

"I'm not going to get involved with what happens at [Real] Madrid because it's [Zinedine] Zidane who decides there.

"I want him to be playing lots of minutes at Arsenal now."

There are questions over who Moreno will pick to play in goal after Kepa Arrizabalaga started June's qualifiers over David de Gea.

"I think competition is good," Moreno went on. "I don't think there's a fixed No.1 here.

"The important thing is that they're starting for their clubs, without a doubt.

"Then we'll analyse the opponent and we'll see who plays.

"I would dare to say that you're going to see all three in qualifying.

"We won the title at Barcelona with both [Marc-Andre] Ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo playing.

"There are lots of topics in football about this and I don't agree [with them]."

Diego Costa was somewhat surprisingly left out of the squad for September's matches and Moreno didn't want to talk about individuals.

"It would show a lack of respect to say what I see and what I don't see in a player," the coach said.

"I'm going to continue with rules that Luis followed and it seems very respectful for me.

"I prefer to speak about those that are here."

After an outstanding start to life in the Barcelona senior team, Moreno had some advice for 16-year-old Ansu Fati.

"He has to keep his feet on the ground," he said.

"He's gone from youth player to playing at the Camp Nou in no time.

"He has to stay patient in every sense and take small steps.

"Ernesto [Valverde] will take good care of him, but it's not a problem if he has to play in the academy or in [Victor] Valdes' Juvenil A team.

"He has to take small steps."

Pablo Sarabia has received a call-up to the Spain squad for the first time after an impressive start to the season with Paris Saint-Germain.

"He had a very good season at Sevilla last year, but he didn't get a call-up," Moreno said about Sarabia.

"Now he's also doing very well at PSG, he can play on the right or the left, he scores goals...

"He's the kind of player we want to have and we're delighted to include him in the squad.

"We'll see if he plays or not."