Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, who missed Spain’s World Cup qualifiers this month due to a groin injury, is fit and ready for the club’s LaLiga match against Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou on Saturday,
manager Hansi Flick informed reporters.
Yamal, having been sidelined three times with groin issues since September, is set to return as Barcelona plays at their home ground for the first time in two-and-a-half years. The club is reopening the partially renovated Camp Nou with a reduced capacity.
“He worked very hard these two weeks and I’m really happy with what I see,” Flick said on Friday about the 18-year-old Yamal, who was released from Spain’s squad on November 11.
Raphinha, who has been out since September with a hamstring injury, is also poised to make a comeback. However, fellow forward Marcus Rashford remains doubtful for Saturday’s match after developing a fever, Flick added.
The Barcelona team is delighted to return to the Camp Nou for the first time since May 2023, Flick stated. The Catalans played their home matches at the Olympic Stadium for the last two seasons, where Flick led them to the league title in his debut campaign in 2024-25.
The squad held an open training session at the Camp Nou on November 7.
“I think we prefer to play at Camp Nou. When we were at the training and I went up the stairs and reached the pitch, it was an unbelievable feeling,” Flick commented. “It can give us a really big push in the match because it’s very close and the fans know exactly when the team needs this push.”
Second-placed Barcelona are three points behind Real Madrid in LaLiga and are 11th in the Champions League, where they will visit Chelsea on Tuesday.
“Game-by-game, this is what we want to do. I know that it’s a long, long way till the end of May. We never have doubts about what we want to do, how we want to play, and reach our goals,” Flick said. “Last season was the same. We have to look into ourselves and give our best performance in every match.”
(With Inputs From Agencies)
