Lamine Yamal has been under the spotlight in recent weeks due to physical issues that kept him off the pitch. Now fully recovered, the young winger is ready to return to action — and Hansi Flick addressed that ahead of Barcelona’s La Liga match against Real Sociedad.
“I think he’ll get minutes,” Flick said of Yamal in Saturday’s press conference, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. “The only question is whether he’ll be in the starting lineup or come off the bench. But he’ll be involved in the match.”
The news comes as a relief to fans who’ve missed Lamine lately. His last appearance for Los Blaugranas was on August 31 in the 1–1 draw against Rayo Vallecano, a game in which he scored. After that came the call-up from the Spanish national team, where the winger played nearly every minute in the World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey.
That workload, however, took a toll on his fitness. Upon returning to Catalunya, it was confirmed that Yamal was dealing with a muscle injury in the pubic area. He was forced to take time off to prioritize his recovery, missing three La Liga matches and Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League opener against Newcastle.
Lamine Yamal playing for Barcelona.
By the time he takes the field against Real Sociedad, 21 days will have passed since Lamine’s last match — Spain vs. Turkey. That’s roughly the standard timeframe for recovery from muscular injuries, assuming they’re not severe. Asked whether it’s wise to give the young winger playing time, Flick was direct: “I don’t feel any concern.”
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Probable Barcelona lineup vs Real Sociedad
While Lamine Yamal’s return is great news for Barcelona, there are still reasons for concern. Raphinha and Joan Garcia are sidelined with injuries that will keep them out for several weeks, and on Saturday, Marc Casado left training early due to physical discomfort.
With that in mind, Barcelona’s likely starting XI to face Real Sociedad on Sunday is: Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín; Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal or Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford.
Another controversy brewing between Barcelona and Spain?
When Yamal’s injury was confirmed, Hansi Flick pointed fingers at Spain coach Luis de La Fuente and his staff, suggesting they hadn’t taken proper care of the young winger and had exposed him to unnecessary risk.
De La Fuente recently avoided addressing the controversy when asked by the press. “Do you think that today, in my homeland, and enjoying this moment, I remember what Hansi Flick said? I’m not even interested,” the Spain coach said.
Still, with the October international break fast approaching, the issue seems to be resurfacing. Spain will face Georgia and Bulgaria in the World Cup qualifiers on October 11 and 14, and Lamine Yamal is likely to be called up. Asked about that, Flick kept it diplomatic: “That’s up to the Spanish national team. It’s the coach’s job — his decision.”
