Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has raised concerns over Lamine Yamal’s recovery from a groin injury, suggesting the 18-year-old winger’s return may take longer than initially expected.
The club had announced on Friday that Yamal would be sidelined for two to three weeks, but Flick cautioned that the timeline is far from certain.
“This injury is not so easy, like a muscle (injury), we have this experience with the coaches, the therapists,” Flick said Saturday.
“With this kind of injury, it’s not easy to say now, okay, he can play in two weeks, in three weeks or four weeks, so he’s able to play in the Clasico — this is not possible.”
Missed Matches and Recent Setback
Yamal first suffered the groin injury while on international duty with Spain in September,
causing him to miss four games before returning last week.
He played against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, but unfortunately suffered a recurrence of the injury, forcing the club to carefully manage his workload moving forward.
“He will train with our recovery team, so for the next weeks he is with them, we have to go step by step and have to see how his evolution is,” Flick added, emphasizing the need for caution in his rehabilitation.
Positive Signs Amid the Setback
Despite the concerns, Flick spoke to Yamal on Saturday and noted improvements.
“I spoke with him today and it’s much better than before, but it’s not good,” the coach said ahead of Barcelona’s La Liga clash against Sevilla.
The winger, who was recently voted the second-best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or, remains a key figure for both club and country.
Tensions Over International Duty
Flick also criticized Spain coach Luis de la Fuente for playing Yamal against Bulgaria and Turkey with pain-killing injections. De la Fuente suggested Flick should show more “empathy” given his own experience as a former national team coach, but the German manager defended his stance.
“I don’t regret this, I want to protect my players,” Flick said. “It’s done now, for me it’s over, we have to look forward… the important thing is that we manage this together, the clubs and the federation.”
Yamal aims to return in time for Barcelona’s high-profile Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 26, but his participation remains uncertain.
(with agency inputs)
