Mundo Deportivo reported that Lamine Yamal’s exclusion from the Spain national team’s roster for the upcoming international break proceeded smoothly and without causing any problems between the Spanish Football Federation and Barcelona.
Barcelona announced on Friday that Yamal had sustained a groin injury and would be sidelined for two to three weeks. Spain then announced that the 18-year-old had been exempted from the matches against Bulgaria and Georgia.
According to the Catalan newspaper, coach Luis de la Fuente personally contacted Yamal 24 hours before the roster was announced and informed him that he would include him. The player responded that he was suffering from pain in his groin and doubted his ability to participate in the matches.
De la Fuente responded that he would include him in the squad, given that Barcelona had not announced his injury or sent the medical report to the Spanish Football Federation, in compliance with regulations.
Ultimately, De la Fuente was clear and amicable with Yamal that once his injury was confirmed, he would be removed from the squad. This is exactly what happened, and Barça officials greatly appreciated this, as the crisis ended before it could escalate.
De la Fuente appeared before the media and defended himself, saying, “If we inform any club of a problem with a player, we, along with the medical staff, assess the situation. In Yamal’s case, we have been in constant contact, and we will see how his condition develops over the coming weeks.”
