Lamine Yamal suffered a hamstring injury in Spain's 1–0 triumph over Denmark in UEFA Nations League action Saturday night.
The 17-year-old phenom made way for Sergio Gómez in stoppage time after an impressive performance out on the right wing for La Roja. Yamal is already up to 17 appearances for Spain after making his debut in September 2023.
Both Spain and Barcelona ran medical tests revealing that Yamal suffered a hamstring strain and not a tear, which bodes well for Barcelona's La Liga and Champions League aspirations. However, Yamal's estimated return to action is unknown at this time.
MEDICAL NEWS | Tests carried out this morning on first team player Lamine Yamal have confirmed that he has a left hamstring strain. His return to training will be determined by his recovery time. pic.twitter.com/wKewB5eCOH
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 14, 2024
Yamal leads Barcelona with five La Liga assists and his four goals are the third-most on the team behind Raphinha's five and veteran Robert Lewandowski's 10.
Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente explained that referees need to do more to help players like Yamal who tend to be singled out by opposing defenses with repeated tackles and challenges. At the same time, de la Fuente also noted that the young forward must adjust to how teams try to limit him as it is ultimately part of the game.
"But Lamine has to get used to it. I would love it to be a bed of roses, but this sport is like that," de la Fuente said after the Spain's win.
"Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a special talent. From there, I had a teammate who used to say: 'What do you want, kisses?' Teams use the weapons they can within the rules."
As Yamal returned to Barcelona, he will miss Spain's final match of the October international break against Serbia on Tuesday.
Barcelona return to action this Sunday to play host to Sevilla at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, the ground it currently calls home while the iconic Camp Nou is undergoing renovations.
Hansi Flick's team is three points clear at the top of the La Liga table and is set to face off against rivals Real Madrid in the latest El Clásico on Oct. 26 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Flick will look to rely on the likes of Ferran Torres and Pau Víctor in Yamal's absence at the right-wing position.
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lamine Yamal Suffers Hamstring Injury While on International Duty With Spain.
