Barcelona have announced that Lamine Yamal could be out for three to four weeks after sustaining a fresh ankle injury during their 1-0 defeat to Leganes.
The match marked the first time this season that Barcelona lost a La Liga game with Yamal in the starting lineup, underlining his significance to the team despite his young age. However, the 17-year-old was hampered by a knock to his right ankle early on and struggled to make his usual impact.
Yamal appeared to signal for a substitution during the first half but stayed on the pitch after deciding he could continue. He was eventually substituted in the 75th minute. Tests later revealed ligament damage to the same ankle that had sidelined him for five games with Barcelona and Spain in November.
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Assistant coach Marcus Sorg, standing in for suspended head coach Hansi Flick, defended the decision to keep Yamal on the field, stating, “Lamine decided he was fine and could continue playing. I cannot say he is fine; we had to wait for the medical team to examine him.”
The injury rules Yamal out of Saturday’s crucial clash with title rivals Atletico Madrid, though the upcoming winter break in Spanish football provides him time to recover.
Barcelona’s next fixture after the break is against lower-league side Barbastro on January 4, but Yamal is unlikely to be risked even if he recovers ahead of schedule. The Catalan side will then travel to Saudi Arabia for the Supercopa de España, where they face Athletic Club in the semi-finals. A potential final against Real Madrid or Mallorca follows. La Liga action resumes for Barcelona on January 19 with a trip to Getafe.