Barcelona fans were left concerned on Saturday after Lamine Yamal was not seen on the training pitch ahead of the La Liga clash with Valencia.
The teenager, already a key part of Hansi Flick’s plans, was reportedly dealing with minor physical issues after returning from international duty.
The 18-year-old had just completed two strong outings for Spain in World Cup qualifiers, providing three assists across matches against Bulgaria and Turkey.
Despite showing no major discomfort at the time, he has now been kept indoors for gym work, raising doubts over his fitness for Sunday’s game.
Could Barcelona risk Lamine Yamal?
The timing of his absence is far from ideal. Barcelona are already without Gavi and Alejandro Balde, while Frenkie de Jong only just rejoined full training.
According to local reports (via Marca), Yamal’s problem may be linked to the back discomfort he felt in the clash against Rayo Vallecano before the break.
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For Flick, the big call will be whether to use Yamal against Valencia or save him for the Champions League trip to Newcastle later in the week.
Resting his young star may prove the safer option, but leaving him out of a league fixture always comes with risk.
Who could step up in place of Lamine Yamal?
If Yamal is unavailable, Raphinha is the obvious choice on the right wing. That could push Ferran Torres or Marcus Rashford into the opposite flank.
New signing Roony Bardghji is also waiting in the wings, and the Valencia fixture could be a chance for him to earn his first senior minutes.
Barcelona will finalize their plans once Flick speaks in his pre-match press conference. Until then, the mystery around Yamal’s condition keeps supporters guessing — a reminder that even football’s brightest sparks sometimes need a pause.
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