Barcelona coach Hansi Flick says Lamine Yamal’s groin injury is worse than expected, delaying his return.
The 18-year-old’s recovery remains uncertain, raising doubts about his availability for El Clasico.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has admitted that teenage forward Lamine Yamal’s groin injury is more serious than initially expected, leaving his return date uncertain.
On Friday, the club had announced that Yamal would be sidelined for two to three weeks. However, Flick said on Saturday that the recovery process might take longer than the initial timeline suggested. He explained that groin injuries are different from regular muscle issues and require careful management.
“This injury is not so easy, like a muscle injury. With this kind of problem, you cannot say he will be back in two, three, or four weeks,” Flick told reporters. “We have to wait and take it step by step. For now, he will train with our recovery team.”
The 18-year-old star, who recently finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting, first picked up the groin problem while on duty with Spain in September. That setback kept him out of four matches before making a brief return last week. He featured against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday but felt pain again, forcing the club to reconsider his fitness plan.
Yamal is already ruled out of Spain’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers and is now racing against time to be fit for the highly anticipated Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Flick, however, refused to confirm whether the youngster will make it back for the clash.
The Barcelona manager also revealed he had spoken to Yamal on Saturday. “He told me it is much better than before, but it is still not good,” Flick said ahead of Sunday’s La Liga fixture against Sevilla.
The injury situation has sparked tension between Barcelona and Spain’s national team. Flick had earlier criticized Spain coach Luis de la Fuente for fielding Yamal in September despite the player needing pain-killing injections. De la Fuente responded on Friday, saying Flick should show more empathy as a former national team coach himself.
Flick, however, stood by his stance. “I don’t regret this. I want to protect my players. For me, this issue is over now, but the important thing is that we work together, both clubs and the federation, to manage his fitness properly.”
For Barcelona, the uncertainty over Yamal’s condition is a major concern as the teenager has become one of their most important attacking players this season. The Catalan side will now depend on their medical staff and recovery team to monitor his progress closely in the coming weeks.
