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Barcelona are reportedly feeling a sense of dread over Lamine Yamal’s fitness as the teenage sensation prepares to lead Spain’s charge at the World Cup. Despite the striker’s importance to the national team, Blaugrana officials fear the process of recovering their crown jewel will be rushed to meet international deadlines.
Fears of a premature return
The Catalan giants are growing increasingly concerned about Spain’s handling of Lamine Yamal’s recovery, with concerns growing ahead of the national team’s opening World Cup match.
While Spain remains optimistic about his chances of being available, Barcelona believe caution should remain the priority for a player who is still developing physically.
The situation has intensified following recent comments from Spain manager Luis de la Fuente regarding the fitness of several key players, suggesting the youngster is close to a return.
De la Fuente’s optimistic update
Giving an update on his injured stars, De la Fuente indicated that Yamal is progressing well and could be available sooner than initially expected. The coach said: “These players (Lamine, Mikel Merino, Nico Williams) are progressing well in their recovery. I think they will all be available for the first match, but we will evaluate whether it is worth them playing this match, not so much because of the risk involved, but because our attention goes beyond the second or third match.”
Although the statement may seem positive from Spain’s point of view, it has created anxiety in the corridors of the Camp Nou. It should be remembered that Yamal injured the biceps femoris in his left leg during Barcelona’s victory against Celta Vigo on April 22 and has not participated in an official match since that date.
Medical experts warn of risk of relapse
The club’s caution is backed up by medical testimony, with Barcelona’s former head of physiotherapy Juanjo Brau highlighting the dangers of an accelerated return.
Brau warned that in these processes, the return must be done by dosing the load, which often conflicts with the high-intensity demands of a World Cup tournament.
The expert further noted that there is a very real risk of relapse from the time the player receives his medical discharge until a month and a half later. This window is particularly tricky for an explosive player like Yamal, whose game relies on sudden changes of pace and aggressive dribbling, putting enormous strain on the hamstrings.
A race against time for Cape Verde
Spain are set to begin their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde on June 15. At this point, only 54 days would have passed since the injury, placing Yamal right at the earliest expected recovery window rather than the safer end of the eight-week time frame usually required for such muscle tears.
Yamal is yet to fully re-enter competitive football since his injury, as he did not travel with Spain for the friendly against Peru and remained at the training base to continue following a personalized recovery programme. For Barcelona, the risk of losing their starlet to a long-term injury outweighs any short-term gains for the national team’s opening match.
