Barcelona coach Hansi Flick described Lamine Yamal’s injury as “not insignificant” and sparked panic among the club’s fans by suggesting the 18-year-old could miss El Clásico against Real Madrid on October 26.
Yamaal played against Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain after returning from injury, but suffered a new setback afterward, which will see him sidelined for two to three weeks.
Flick said in the press conference before the Sevilla match, “If I had any doubts about Yamal’s fitness, he wouldn’t have played against Paris. I spoke with him today, but the situation isn’t good yet.”
He added, “Everyone knows how good Lamine is, but it’s my responsibility to give him the appropriate minutes based on his condition, and that’s what we’ll do when he returns. We can see that on the pitch. It’s not just about what he does with the ball, but also when it’s not on him.”
When asked about how long Lamine would be out and whether he would be fit for El Clásico, he replied, “We don’t know yet. The injury isn’t minor. He could play in two, three, or four weeks. It depends on how quickly he recovers, and we can’t say that yet.”
Barcelona will also be without goalkeeper Joan Garcia for El Clásico due to injury, while Rafinha is expected to be fit after returning from the international break.
