Iniesta suffered a thigh injury during a 6-0 friendly win over Poland and has been training away from his team-mates as he looks to recover in time.

And Del Bosque reckons the Barcelona midfielder is winning his race to be ready for their Group H opener in three days' time.

"Iniesta will play and he will be in the starting line-up," the Spain boss told La Siete.

"Tomorrow he will train with the ball and there are still 72 hours left."

Spain finally threw off their title of underachievers two years ago when they triumphed at the European Championships and are one of the favourites in South Africa.

Del Bosque admits he is altering his opinion of who their main rivals will be as the tournament progresses.

He added: "The game between England and the United States disappointed me. They were my great favourites.

"I think Argentina are a really strong candidate if (Lionel) Messi continues playing at his level."