Barcelona have expressed confidence that teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will recover in time for the upcoming FIFA Men’s World Cup, despite confirming that the winger has suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.
The 18-year-old forward was forced off during Barcelona’s 1-0 La Liga win over Celta Vigo on Wednesday after scoring the decisive penalty. He went down in discomfort shortly after and was substituted before half-time.
On Thursday, Barcelona confirmed that Yamal had sustained an injury to the biceps femoris muscle in his left leg and would undergo conservative treatment, ruling him out for the remainder of the club season.
The setback means he will miss key fixtures, including the final El Clásico against Real Madrid on May 10, as Barcelona close in on the La Liga title.
Despite the injury, club sources remain optimistic that Yamal will be available for Spain at the World Cup this summer, with the player expected to return in time for international preparations.
Yamal has been a standout performer this season, recording 24 goals and 16 assists across all competitions in his breakthrough campaign with Barcelona. His rise has been particularly significant given earlier fitness issues, including a pubalgia problem that sidelined him during parts of the season.
The young winger has already become a regular for the Spain national team, with 25 senior caps to his name, and is expected to be included in coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad if recovery goes as planned.
Spain are scheduled to play two pre-World Cup friendlies in June before heading into the tournament. They open their World Cup campaign on June 15 in Atlanta against Cape Verde in Group H, which also includes Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
While the injury ends Yamal’s club season prematurely, Barcelona officials believe there is “no reason to panic,” insisting the timeline still allows for a full recovery ahead of international duty.
Behind the scenes, both the club and Spain’s medical staff are expected to closely monitor his rehabilitation in the coming weeks to ensure he returns in optimal condition for the tournament.
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