Hansi Flick warns that Lamine Yamal’s groin injury is complex and his return to Barcelona action, including the Clasico, remains uncertain

Hansi Flick has warned that Lamine Yamal’s groin injury will take time to heal, casting doubt on the Barcelona starlet’s potential return before the end of October.

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Although Barcelona initially announced that Yamal would be sidelined for two to three weeks, Flick suggested the teenager’s recovery could stretch beyond that period, describing the injury as “not so easy” to manage.

“This injury is not so easy, like a muscle injury,” said Hansi Flick on Saturday. “With this kind of injury, it’s not easy to say now, okay, he can play in two weeks, three weeks, or four weeks, or even in the Clasico — this is not possible. We have to wait and go step by step.”

Yamal sustained the groin problem while on international duty with Spain in September, missing four matches before returning last week. However, the 18-year-old suffered a recurrence during Barcelona’s Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

The winger, recently voted the second-best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or gala, will now work closely with Barcelona’s recovery team in the coming weeks as he aims to regain fitness ahead of the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26.

Flick confirmed he had spoken to Yamal earlier in the day and received mixed news. “I spoke with him today and it’s much better than before, but it’s not good,” the coach said ahead of Sunday’s La Liga meeting with Sevilla.

The German manager also criticised Spain coach Luis de la Fuente for allowing Yamal to play against Bulgaria and Turkey while using pain-killing injections.

De la Fuente responded on Friday, saying he expected Flick to show more empathy as a former national coach, but Flick stood firm.

“I don’t regret this I want to protect my players,” he insisted. “It’s done now, we have to look forward. The important thing is that we manage this together the clubs and the federation.”

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With Yamal sidelined and uncertainty over his fitness, Hansi Flick faces a testing few weeks as Barcelona attempt to balance form, fitness, and fixture demands in both domestic and European competitions.