Spanish star Lamine Yamal could make his return for Barcelona in the La Liga clash against Real Sociedad.
It’s welcome news for the Catalan side ahead of two crucial upcoming matches, as Yamal has fully recovered from injury.
The 18-year-old hasn’t featured for Barcelona since the international break earlier this month. During this period, he missed games against Valencia, Newcastle United, Getafe, and Real Oviedo.
Barcelona will face Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday, followed by a Champions League clash with PSG on Wednesday. Ahead of these matches, Yamal shared a short video on social media featuring some of the best moments of his career, captioning it simply: “I’m back.”
Before his injury, Yamal had a strong start to the season, scoring two goals and providing two assists in the first three La Liga matches. He also assisted three goals during World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey. However, Barcelona coach Hansie Flick faced criticism for playing him only 79 and 73 minutes in those matches.
Yamal had joined the Spain squad with a minor groin issue, which worsened while he was with the national team. Flick claimed that the Spanish team did not manage his care properly, though Spain coach Luis de la Fuente dismissed the criticism.
Even with Yamal’s return, concerns remain over forward Raphinha’s fitness. He was substituted in the second half of Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Oviedo on Thursday.
“The decision was made as a precaution, and we believe it is not a serious injury,” Flick said. Raphinha is scheduled for further assessment on Friday.
Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen and midfielder Gavi are already out due to injury. Another midfielder, Fermin Lopez, sustained an injury last Sunday and is sidelined. Defender Alejandro Balde has returned to training after recovering from a hamstring issue.
