Barcelona are confident of welcoming Lamine Yamal back into action well before their meeting with Real Madrid later this month, a report has revealed.
An aggravation of a groin injury sent Yamal back to the sidelines late last week, with Barcelona claiming the young winger would need between two and three weeks to recover. Such a timeline would pose few issues for El Clásico on Oct. 26.
Just one day after the news was confirmed, however, manager Hansi Flick sat in front of the press to claim it was impossible to put a timeframe on Yamal’s recovery and admitted he could not say whether Yamal would be back in time for the Madrid game.
Those concerns, according to MARCA, are not shared by those in Barcelona’s medical department. Not only is there confidence Yamal will be back in time for El Clásico, but there is even a belief he could return earlier.
Indeed, the return to domestic action against Girona on Oct. 18 is being lined up as a likely return date for Yamal, who was absent for the harrowing 4–1 loss at the hands of Sevilla before the international break.
Yamal is not expected to play the full 90 minutes against Girona, but the plan is for the teenage superstar to steadily build up his minutes. Olympiacos come to the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium three days later in the Champions League, after which Barcelona will have another five days before the Clásico against Madrid.
Injuries have been a significant issue for Barcelona in recent weeks. Alongside Yamal, Flick was without Raphinha, Fermín López, Gavi and Joan García for the Sevilla game, with long-term absentee Marc-André ter Stegen also unavailable.
Fermín and Raphinha are expected to join Yamal back in action after the international break, but there are doubts about García’s involvement in El Clásico. A speedy recovery from his knee injury could open the door, but the summer signing is expected to need slightly more time out of action.
Gavi, meanwhile, will be out of action until February after undergoing knee surgery.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona ‘Set Target Date’ for Lamine Yamal Injury Return.
