“Barcelona must adapt without Lamine Yamal,” believes coach Hansi Flick.
The young winger, Lamine Yamal, is set to miss his second consecutive match due to an ankle injury, as confirmed by Barcelona ahead of their La Liga clash against Celta Vigo. Coach Hansi Flick emphasized the importance of maintaining a winning mindset even in the absence of the 17-year-old sensation.
Following a run of seven consecutive victories across all competitions, Barcelona suffered a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad in their last league match before the international break, where Yamal’s absence was notably felt in the attack.
Ahead of Saturday’s match at Celta’s home ground, Flick was asked during the press conference whether Barcelona could secure a win without Yamal. The German coach responded with a question of his own, aimed at his squad:
“I will ask the team tomorrow. I think it’s a good question for them.”
This season, Yamal has been pivotal for Barcelona, contributing six goals and eight assists across all competitions. However, Flick dismissed the notion that his absence was the primary reason for the loss to Sociedad:
“We didn’t play very well against Real Sociedad, and that’s why we lost. Lamine’s absence was not the reason.”
Acknowledging Yamal’s importance to the team, Flick urged the squad to adapt and highlighted several players who could step up in his absence:
“Lamine is very important for us, but we must learn to adapt without him. We have players who can fill his role on the right side of the attack, whether it’s Raphinha, Dani (Olmo), Fermín (López), Pablo (Torre), or Pau (Víctor).”
Yamal sustained his right ankle injury earlier this month during a Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade. His availability for Tuesday’s home fixture against Brest in the same competition also remains uncertain.
Barcelona currently leads La Liga with 33 points from 13 matches, securing 11 wins. Real Madrid, last season’s champions, sits six points behind in second place, with one match in hand.
