Pedro Luis Ripoll, a doctor specializing in football injuries, claimed that it will be extremely difficult for Lamine Yamal to return to his best form due to his pubic muscle injury, also known as a “sports hernia.”
The 18-year-old suffered this injury last September while playing for Spain in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He missed two weeks with Barcelona, then returned, suffered another relapse, and then returned last week. However, he has so far failed to perform at his usual level.
Rippoll told Cadena Ser, “This injury deprives a player of approximately 50% of their physical capacity. In fact, it is very difficult to treat, even though it does not cause any joint damage, but it causes players severe and annoying pain.”
He added, “This injury is characterized by pain that causes the player to lose approximately 50% of his ability to move and shoot, which is exactly what we saw in Lamine’s case during the El Clásico. In other words, he barely shoots on goal and has difficulty moving on the pitch.”
He concluded, “In fact, no player suffers from a hernia and then regains his usual form.”
Since returning from injury, Yamal has assisted two goals and scored another against Olympiacos. He has been widely criticized for his poor performance in El Clásico, despite having sparked controversy before the match with his hostile statements against Real Madrid.
