Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has confessed Lamine Yamal was not 100% during September’s international camp, but denied responsibility for the injury which sidelined him for four matches.
Barcelona diagnosed Yamal with a groin injury upon his return from Spain duty, prompting Hansi Flick to lash out at a perceived lack of protection from the national team. Officials inside Spain were reportedly stunned by the manager’s claims.
De la Fuente insisted he simply “did not care” when the issue was raised again earlier this week, before naming the Barcelona teenager and 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up in his squad for October’s international fixtures as well.
“I always tell the truth,” De la Fuente told reporters on his management of Yamal during the September break. “What happened was that, when the match ended, he had some kind of discomfort. But I’ve never played without discomfort.
“Nothing happened. Our medical services explained it, I explained it. Nothing more. Did he then have discomfort after the match? Well, I don’t know.
“Here, the risk is zero. Whoever comes here, comes healthy, in the right condition to play. And when they get sent home, it’s because we’ve determined they can’t be here because they’re taking a risk.”
Flick’s Yamal Complaints ‘a Surprise’ Given International Experience
De la Fuente was keen to move on from the feud with Flick, admitting he was surprised to see a lack of understanding from the former Germany manager.
“There’s no conflict with Flick,” he assured. “I was simply surprised by those statements because he was a national team coach, and I believed he had that empathy. That’s what surprises me, that a former coach would have that opinion. But without further ado, everyone says what they have to say.
“You know we have two very important games, that we’re playing for the World Cup. It seems like they’re in the background and we’re talking about Flick instead. We’re playing for the World Cup, that’s what’s really important. The rest isn’t important. Everyone said what they said, and that’s it.”
Yamal managed two appearances following his return from injury, including 90 minutes in Barcelona’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. De la Fuente plans to speak with the winger before deciding on his level of involvement in the coming weeks.
“We talk to all the players, we know how they’re doing firsthand,” he said. “If a club informs us that a player has any issues, we assess them. We’ll see how Lamine develops this weekend and see how much participation he has.”
Lamine Yamal’s 2025–26 Statistics
- Total Games Played: 5
- Games Missed Through Injury: 4
- Minutes Played: 392
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 4
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Spain Manager Stokes Fire of Lamine Yamal Injury Drama.
