Barcelona Reveal Lamine Yamal's Fate Ahead of Champions League Showdown
After demolishing Valencia 6–0, Barcelona are set to launch their 2025–26 Champions League campaign, hoping this journey will see them reclaim their position at the pinnacle of European football.
The Catalan giants will make the journey to St. James's Park to take on Newcastle United this Thursday for their Champions League opener, though they'll be without their star winger Lamine Yamal for the encounter.
Barcelona's number 10 hasn't participated in training since returning to the club following his two appearances for Spain during the recent international break. The club announced last week that Yamal is dealing with a pubic area injury and was already absent from their recent Valencia victory.
Barcelona have now confirmed their squad for Wednesday's match, with Yamal notably excluded. Mundo Deportivo reports that the winger may remain out of action until Barcelona welcome Paris Saint-Germain on October 1st.
Yamal is battling a groin problem that could persist or deteriorate significantly if rushed back into action. Chelsea's Enzo Fernández experienced a comparable injury during the 2023–24 campaign, continuing to play through groin issues until surgical intervention became necessary.
Barcelona are determined to prevent Yamal from experiencing a similar situation, leading to a cautious approach with their young star. The 18-year-old first experienced groin discomfort during Barcelona's second league fixture against Levante, according to Mundo Deportivo. He managed to feature in three additional matches before the pain eventually forced him to withdraw.
Hansi Flick criticized Spain's national team management of Yamal's condition, with Barcelona sporting director Deco sharing similar concerns. La Roja strongly disputed Flick's remarks, though it appears Yamal will be unavailable for weeks rather than days.
With Yamal sidelined, Raphinha is anticipated to operate on the right flank while Marcus Rashford is expected to start on the left side. While this represents a significant improvement over Barcelona's options from last season when Yamal was unavailable, the teenager's absence will certainly be noticeable.
Should Barcelona choose to rest Yamal until the PSG encounter, he would also miss upcoming La Liga fixtures against Getafe, Real Oviedo and Real Sociedad.
Frenkie de Jong has recovered sufficiently to be available after missing the weekend's comfortable victory over Valencia.