Barcelona are closely monitoring Lamine Yamal’s recovery from a pubic injury as Frenkie de Jong edges toward fitness for Thursday’s Champions League opener against Newcastle United. Both players were absent in the 6–0 La Liga win over Valencia.
Yamal sustained the injury during the September international break and, according to Mundo Deportivo, missed Monday’s training session. Coach Hansi Flick expressed frustration with Spain’s handling of the teenager’s workload, saying, “They had at least a three-goal lead in both matches, and he still played 73 and 79 minutes. Between the games he wasn’t able to train. That’s not looking after the player. I’m very sad about this.”
De Jong, meanwhile, returned to training after leaving the Netherlands camp early. The Dutch midfielder could feature against Newcastle as Barcelona continue their group-stage campaign, benefiting from the extra recovery time provided by the Thursday fixture schedule.
With Yamal sidelined, summer signing Roony Bardghji started on the right flank versus Valencia before Raphinha replaced him at halftime. Pedri and Marc Casadó impressed in a midfield pivot and may start again if De Jong is eased back. Barcelona’s next La Liga match follows the European clash, giving both stars further time to regain full fitness.
