Lamine Yamal a World Cup doubt after left thigh injury | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal faces a race to be ready for Spain’s World Cup opener after suffering a left thigh injury for Barcelona on Wednesday.

The club said in a statement that scans confirmed a lesion, he will follow conservative treatment, he will miss the rest of the season, and the plan is for him to be available for the tournament.

He converted a late penalty in the 1-0 win over Celta Vigo before going down. No precise timescale has been given, and with Barcelona’s final game in one month, his absence will stretch beyond the club season.

Spain start their campaign in less than two months, from 11 June to 19 July, so preparation for their standout player now carries uncertainty.

At 18, he has already logged 3,699 minutes for his club this season, with only three Liga outfielders playing more across all competitions, Florian Lejeune, Federico Valverde and Vinicius.

He experienced fitness issues in the autumn, which prompted a firm exchange between Hansi Flick and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente over his workload.

Spain have coped in his absence, with six wins and one draw across seven matches without him since Euro 2024, scoring 20 goals. Options on the right have included Ferran Torres and Yeremy Pino, while Mikel Oyarzabal later moved inside to the number nine role, hitting 11 goals in his last 10 caps. Ander Barrenetxea and Victor Munoz were also tested off the bench in the most recent window.

Source: L'Équipe