Spain captain Iker Casillas has decided to watch his side against France in person tonight, despite being out with a hand injury.

Casillas is still recovering from a broken arm and missed out on Vicente del Bosque's squad for the contest.

After being granted permission by Real Madrid, the 31-year-old will travel to the Stade de France to watch the crucial World Cup qualifier.

Spain and Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos admitted that the show of spirit is a boost to his squad ahead of the crunch encounter.

He told Marca: "The word captain means gestures like that of Iker. They cannot be bettered."

Spain trail France by two points ahead of tonight's match after slipping to a 1-1 draw with Finland last week.

Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo also decided to travel with the Portugal squad to face Azerbaijan tonight, despite being suspended.