Lamine Yamal raised alarm bells at FC Barcelona after missing Thursday’s training session as the squad returned to work ahead of their next La Liga fixture. Despite his absence from the training ground, reports indicate that his availability for the game against Sevilla is not under threat.
The 18-year-old winger is coming off a starring role in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Newcastle United, where he converted a penalty in the 90th-plus-sixth minute to earn Barcelona a last-gasp equalizer. Following the game, head coach Hansi Flick gave the squad Wednesday off before returning to training on Thursday, with Yamal the notable absentee.
According to Diario Sport, Yamal’s absence was due to a general feeling of illness rather than an injury, with the club’s medical staff advising him to rest as a precaution. Despite missing the session, Barcelona are confident he will be back on the training pitch on Friday and fully available for Sunday’s match against Sevilla.
Having Yamal fit and firing will be crucial for Barcelona not only in the immediate term but in the days that follow. The second leg against Newcastle United is set for the Camp Nou on Wednesday, leaving just 72 hours between the two fixtures, a tight turnaround that could lead Flick to manage his key players’ minutes against Sevilla with one eye firmly on the European tie.
Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring against Newcastle United.
Yamal, Barcelona’s most important piece of the season
Barcelona caught the soccer world off guard last season, with Flick building a side that became the most prolific in his tenure, registering 286 goals and conceding 120 across in the 103 games he’s been in charge. But in the 2025-26 season, Lamine Yamal has emerged as the undisputed focal point of everything Barcelona do going forward.
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In 37 appearances this season, Yamal is the only Barcelona player to have reached 20 or more goals, while also leading the squad in assists with 15. Remarkably, the player closest to him in the scoring charts is not Robert Lewandowski or Raphinha, both on 14 goals, but Ferran Torres, who has contributed 16 goals across all competitions.
Flick is acutely aware of just how central Yamal is to his team’s ambitions, and the German coach has leaned heavily on the teenager throughout the campaign. Yamal currently ranks second on the squad in total minutes played this season with 3,102 across all competitions, behind only defender Eric García, who leads the way with 3,208.
