Chelsea star sends ‘warning’ to Lamine Yamal ahead of Barcelona showdown | OneFootball

Marc Cucurella jokes he ‘won’t hold back’ against Spain team-mate Yamal when Blues host Barca in the Champions League

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Marc Cucurella has joked that he “won’t hold back” against his Spain team-mate Lamine Yamal when Chelsea host Barcelona in the Champions League next month.

The pair are currently together on international duty and Chelsea left-back Cucurella was asked how robust he will be when defending against Barcelona right winger Yamal.

“I won't hold back there,” he joked. “The good thing is that there's still a long way to go before the World Cup. If I knock him out, he'll have plenty of time to recover!

Marc Cucurella will come directly up against Lamine Yamal when Chelsea face Barcelona

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“I like playing against people I don't know, I feel more comfortable. And I'm not one to write to opponents before games if they're friends.”

Spain face Georgia on Saturday and then Bulgaria next Tuesday in World Cup qualifiers and they will be among the favourites to lift the trophy next summer.

Cucurella has become a key player for Spain and says he would not change his career path, having left Barcelona after coming through their La Masia academy.

“I wouldn't change my career for having stayed at Barca, to be honest,” Cucurella said. “Maybe if I had stayed, I wouldn't have had playing time or learned what I have learned.

“To play at the highest level, it's key to have confidence, and I found that outside of Barca. I wouldn't change anything I have experienced.”

The 27-year-old added: “The good thing about me was that I was a little different from the rest. My characteristics weren't the most ‘made in La Masia’, and that helped me adapt to other styles. Between what they taught me there and what I learned outside, I have become a good player.”