‘We need to support him‘ — Luis de la Fuente talks about inclusion of Barcelona star amid injury issues | OneFootball

FC Barcelona and Spain have been waging a cold war over the handling of Lamine Yamal. The club were clearly displeased with the way Luis de la Fuente treated him during the September international break.

Everyone wants Lamine to play for them, and understandably so. The Barcelona teenager is already one of the very best players in the world and, when he is in the zone, there are few who can change a game single-handedly better than him.

De la Fuente was asked about the situation surrounding Lamine and the injury troubles he is facing. As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, he said:

“Watching the match the other day, he’s fit to play. We have two very important matches and we need the best players.”

The Spain manager then went on to stress that it is in everyone’s interest to protect Lamine. He continued:

“I stand by what I said a year ago about Lamine. We need to support him in his development—both at the club and here. Everyone who interacts with him shares that responsibility. You’re the ones who will dig into him. We know how this works.”

One wonders why Luis de la Fuente, who says all this, chose to risk Lamine in the September internationals when the player reported discomfort. Regardless, Barcelona have not been completely responsible either.

Leaving Lamine on in games that are already wrapped up is something Hansi Flick needs to avoid. Managing the teenager’s minutes is very important, and let us hope Barcelona and Spain both take collective responsibility for doing that.