Lamine Yamal ‘fears’ he will miss World Cup with Spain as Barcelona look to control his pubalgia | OneFootball

Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal fears that he could miss the World Cup with Spain if his physical issues limit his aspirations, according to reports.

Barcelona and Yamal angered the RFEF after they failed to tell Spain’s medical staff that the 18-year-old had undergone radiofrequency on a persistent groin injury, which has now ruled him out of action over the international break.

Yamal was released from Spain duty only three days after being called up to De la Fuente’s latest squad on November 7 for their World Cup qualifiers.

It was reported that Barcelona only informed Spain of the procedure at 10:40pm, hours after the squad were due to report for duty, ahead of the matches against Georgia and Turkey.

And now there are reports in Spain that Yamal ‘fears’ that he could miss the World Cup for Spain if his pubalgia continues to impact his time on the pitch this season.

The report adds: ‘If his pubalgia doesn’t fully resolve, Lamine’s problems could become serious. The Barcelona youth product knows that if things don’t progress as expected, he won’t be at his best for the final stretch of the season with Barça, and even worse, if he’s unwell by then, it’s very likely he won’t be able to give his all for Spain at the World Cup. It’s an event he absolutely doesn’t want to miss due to the physical problems he’s been dealing with for the past few weeks.’

In an article about Yamal, The Athletic have outlined how pubalgia could be impacting the Barcelona star and how to go about treating it.

The Athletic wrote: ‘Pubalgia is characterised by pain in the groin that can spread to other areas such as the upper thigh or lower abdomen. The term refers to the symptoms rather than a single condition — and various factors, including muscle strain, tendonitis or nerve issues, can play a role. This means it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose and treat quickly.

‘Another tricky thing about pubalgia is that it does not tend to disappear altogether with rest alone. Not every case is the same, but often players are advised to keep playing and learn how to handle the pain, while following a series of treatments and prevention exercises to strengthen the affected area, in the hope that things will progress. In some cases, footballers are instead advised to undergo surgery.’

After initially being disappointed with Barcelona over Lamal’s late absence, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente did not want to dwell on the latest club versus country row as he looked at the positives.

He said: “The good news is that we have him for the next 15 years! We need to think about the present and the future. Right now, it’s about relying on our current players, winning, and virtually securing our qualification. That’s our priority.”

On maintaining high standards, De la Fuente added: “Everything can be improved and everyone will work to progress, but what we need to focus on is tomorrow’s performance. We’re on the right path and we must keep moving forward.”

When asked about Yamal’s absence from the Spain squad, Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen told Marca: “He has some problems and it’s normal that he goes back home. I also left the camp last month when I had some pain.”

Huijsen added: “Lamine is a normal kid. He’s just 18 years old. Sometimes things are exaggerated with him.

“The same happens at Madrid with Vinícius, who is an incredible player and a good guy, but they criticise him for the smallest things. If we deserve it, we can take it, but a lot of times it crosses the line.”

Barcelona and Spain team-mate Dani Olmo also defended Yamal after suggestions he didn’t want to be with the squad after the recent El Clasico against Real Madrid.

Olmo said: “Lamine always wants to be here with the national team. If he’s not been able to be here this time, it’s because he’s not 100%.

“His desire to be here has been questioned, but behind closed doors you can see that is completely the opposite to that.”