Barcelona is reportedly growing increasingly concerned about the physical condition of wonderkid Lamine Yamal as the Spanish national team prepares to enter their 2026 World Cup campaign.
According to sources from Sport, the management of the Camp Nou outfit fears that Lamine Yamal’s recovery process is being rushed so he can serve the national team in time, while the 18-year-old player has not yet completed a safe and controlled return-to-play protocol.
Although the Spanish national team’s coaching staff appears optimistic about the young star’s availability for the opening match of the World Cup, Barcelona believes that caution must be the top priority for a player who is still in his physical development phase.
The Catalan club’s concerns have intensified following recent remarks by head coach Luis de la Fuente regarding the squad’s status.
Providing an update on the players undergoing injury treatment, the La Roja strategist stated: “These players (Lamine, Mikel Merino, and Nico Williams) are recovering very positively. I think they can all be ready for the first match, but we will evaluate whether to use them right from that game or not. What we care about is not just the first match, but the entire journey ahead in the tournament.”
From the perspective of the Spanish national team, this is a positive sign. However, at Camp Nou, these statements have sparked fears that Yamal might return to action sooner than what is safely necessary.
It is worth remembering that Barcelona’s young talent suffered a biceps femoris injury in his left leg during the victory against Celta Vigo on April 22. Since then, he has not played in any official matches.
Barcelona’s cautious stance is also supported by sports medicine experts. The former head of physiotherapy at Barcelona, Juanjo Brau, warned that rushing the recovery schedule could harbor many risks.
According to Brau, the comeback process after a muscle injury like Yamal’s needs to be strictly controlled by gradually increasing the physical workload. This often conflicts with the very high competitive intensity of a tournament like the World Cup.
He also emphasized that the risk of re-injury remains present during the period from when a player is medically cleared to play until about six weeks later. This is a particularly sensitive phase for a player with a speed-reliant playing style who frequently performs sudden accelerations and changes of direction like Yamal, movements that put immense pressure on the hamstring muscles.
Spain will kick off their 2026 World Cup journey with a match against Cape Verde on June 15. If he features in this match, Yamal will return to the pitch exactly 54 days after the time of his injury, which equals the earliest mark in the expected recovery timeframe. Meanwhile, many experts usually recommend about 8 weeks or more for similar muscle tears to minimize the risk of a relapse.
As of now, Yamal has not yet fully reintegrated into competitive activities. He also did not join the Spanish national team for the friendly match against Peru, instead remaining at the training center to carry out his individual recovery program.
