Barcelona and Luis de la Fuente haven’t enjoyed the best of relationships over the last 12 months due to differing opinions over the use of Lamine Yamal.
Ahead of World Cup 2026, it seems there may still be some tension between both parties. According to Diario Sport, Barcelona are worried about the Spain coach’s recent comments about Yamal.
Yamal is on his way back from a hamstring injury and Barca are eager for him to be eased back carefully. De la Fuente, meanwhile, has suggested Yamal could play
from the get go.
“I think they will all be available for the first game, but we will assess whether it is interesting for them to play that game, not only because of the risk aspect, but because our view goes beyond a second or third game,” he told reporters recently when talking about his injured players.
Barcelona are concerned about Yamal suffering a relapse and think that Spain’s opener against Cape Verde – which comes 54 days after the teenager’s injury – would present a real risk to the teenager if he does feature.
The club’s worries have been compounded by the fact that Yamal hasn’t been training at 100% just yet and was also not ready to play in either of the team’s two warm-up games.
Barcelona know there is a very real risk of relapse, particularly with a hamstring injury, and that Yamal’s return must be managed carefully.
The fear is that it’s a difficult situation to control, particularly at a World Cup where players are desperate to play and there’s pressure on teams to get results.
