Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has criticised Spain’s handling of Lamine Yamal after the teenager returned from international duty with a groin injury.
The 18-year-old, one of Barcelona’s brightest prospects, will miss Sunday’s LaLiga clash against Valencia and is doubtful for next week’s Champions League tie at Newcastle United.
“Lamine will not be available tomorrow, it’s a pity,” Flick told reporters on Saturday. “He played with the national team despite pain. He had problems, played 79 and 73 minutes, and didn’t even train between matches because of this pain. That is not really taking care of the players, is it?”
Flick expressed frustration that Yamal, who was reportedly given painkillers to feature for Spain, was overused despite being injured. Spain have the best players in the world, in every position. Maybe they should also want to take care of our young players,” he added.
The winger, who helped Spain win Euro 2024, contributed three assists across 152 minutes in World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey before aggravating the problem.
Flick, a former German manager, admitted he had not spoken directly with Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. “I know how hard the job is. But in the end, communication could be better. We don’t only have one player in the national team; we have many.”
Barcelona will also be without Frenkie de Jong, who picked up an injury with the Netherlands. However, 18-year-old Marc Bernal is set to return after more than a year out with an ACL injury.
Club press officer Gabriel Martínez confirmed it remains uncertain whether Yamal will recover in time for Barca’s Champions League opener at Newcastle.
