Spain coach Luis de la Fuente is confident Lamine Yamal will head to the World Cup in good shape as he recovers from the hamstring injury he suffered last month.
Yamal has not played for Barcelona since sustaining the injury in the act of scoring a penalty in the Blaugrana’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on April 22.
But the 18-year-old, sure to be the focal point of La Roja’s bid to win the World Cup for a second time after playing an instrumental role in their Euro 2024 success, is said to be already back running on grass.
De la Fuente optimistic over Yamal
And De la Fuente, whose side are viewed as the favourites for the title, believes Yamal’s commitment to his rehabilitation will ensure he is in the best possible shape for their campaign, which begins on June 15 when Spain face Cape Verde in their Group H opener.
In an interview with SPORT, De la Fuente said of Yamal: “Apart from his great talent, that he trains three hours a day, goes to the gym, visits his physio, his nutritionist and his psychologist, and gives himself to his invisible training, which is the most important thing.
“Invisible training is something that many people are unaware of. It’s about being 24 hours thinking about your work. Nobody gives Lamine anything.
“I talk about Lamine because I know him very well. God willing, he will arrive at the World Cup as well as possible.”
Yamal has already won 25 caps for Spain, scoring six goals. He was named as the best young player at Euro 2024 after scoring a stunning goal in their 2-1 win over France in the semi-final and providing four assists.
Spain also face Saudi Arabia in Uruguay in Group H as they bid to banish memories of their last-16 exit in 2022 and reclaim the crown they won for the first time in 2010.
