Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has teased a return to the team in time for Sunday’s meeting with Real Sociedad.
Yamal has not played for Barcelona since the international break, missing four games across all competitions after being diagnosed with a groin injury which manager Hansi Flick accused the Spanish Federation (RFEF) of exacerbating with a lack of caution, with those comments met with confusion by those inside the national team.
Tensions remained high in the build-up to the Sociedad game as Spain manager Luis de la Fuente insisted he simply “did not care” about Flick’s comments.
Barcelona have been cautious with Yamal, well aware of the risk of rushing him back into action. A cameo off the bench against Sociedad was deemed a possibility and may now be the plan after Yamal teased a return on social media.
“Hey! I’m back,” he posted on Instagram alongside a video of his goal highlights.
If Yamal does earn a spot in Flick’s matchday squad, he is not expected to play a significant role, largely because of the midweek meeting with Paris Saint-Germain which is rapidly approaching. That game against the European champions is seen as the priority and everybody involved wants to ensure Yamal arrives at the game at 100%.
News of Yamal’s imminent return comes as an obvious boost for Barcelona, not least because the club are facing a spell without both starting goalkeeper Joan García and key attacker Raphinha through injury.
Raphinha is due to miss around three weeks of action, but García could be sidelined for twice as long after undergoing minor knee surgery.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lamine Yamal Drops Three-Word Return Hint Ahead of Real Sociedad Clash.
