Lamine Yamal will undergo further tests today, although early reports suggest the Barcelona and Spain winger has torn his left hamstring.
Yamal injured himself in the process of scoring a penalty in Barca’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo last night, immediately falling to the floor after converting from the spot.
He was withdrawn and Barca were forced to play the remainder of the game without their talented teenager. They held on to re-establish their nine-point lead at the top of the Liga table.
Club medics will wait for the swelling to go down before further testing on Yamal can take place but reports in the Catalan media indicate the player will be sidelined for a minimum of five weeks.
That would rule Yamal out of the remainder of the domestic season but would mean he is fit by the time the World Cup gets underway on June 11. Spain’s first game is on June 15 against Cape Verde.
“We have to wait,” Barça coach Hansi Flick said after the game. “We have to see what it is. There is something. He felt it. After the goal, he would not leave the pitch without reason. So it’s something. Something happened. Hopefully it’s not so bad, but we have to wait until tomorrow.”
Yamal absence would be a major blow for Spain
Yamal has struggled with a sports hernia this season but has remained relatively injury free throughout the early stages of his young career.
Barca should be okay without him given their lead at the top of the table. Any prolonged absence would be a crushing blow for Spain, however.
The 18-year-old, who has scored 24 goals and added 18 assists in all competitions for Barca this season, is an automatic choice for the national team and played a prominent role in their European Championship success two years ago.
