Barcelona sweat over Yamal fitness after recurring injury
Barcelona have been dealt another setback after confirming that teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has suffered a recurrence of his groin injury, placing his availability for the upcoming El Clasico in doubt.
Recall the 18-year-old returned to action last weekend against Real Sociedad and played a full 90 minutes in the Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, fresh tests have revealed a relapse of his previous groin problem, forcing the club to sideline him for another two to three weeks.
El Clasico doubt for key forward
Yamal will miss Barcelona’s weekend fixture against Sevilla and could also sit out their first match after the international break.
The recovery timeline puts his participation in the crucial clash against Real Madrid on uncertain ground, as he would have had minimal playing time in nearly two months by the time the game arrives.
If recovery leans toward the longer estimate, Yamal would also miss home fixtures against Girona and Olympiakos.
Returning only days before El Clasico would make it highly unlikely for manager Hansi Flick to risk him from the start.
Flick and Spain boss clash over player management
The injury reignites tensions between Barcelona and Spain’s national team coaches. Flick previously accused Spain coach Luis de la Fuente of mishandling Yamal’s initial injury, suggesting he was not given proper recovery time.
De la Fuente, however, has dismissed those claims, insisting no risks were taken with the young forward. He said this on Friday after recalling Yamal for international duty.
