Barcelona president Joan Laporta teased Lamine Yamal’s imminent return following a three-match absence across all competitions with a groin injury.
Yamal hasn’t featured at all so far in September, sitting out the wins over Valencia, Newcastle United and Getafe, last playing in August when Hansi Flick’s team frustratingly tied with Rayo Vallecano.
That was the game after which the manager hit out at “egos” that “kill success,” demanding a stronger team ethic from his players. Yamal played down the importance of those comments.
The 18-year-old was in Paris on Monday night, with his family entourage in tow, for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony. Reports in Spain alleged that his father had pre-emptively booked a venue for a celebration party, although in the end the trophy went to Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé.
Laporta was also present in Paris, where Barcelona had numerous players nominated in multiple categories—Aitana Bonmatí made it three straight Ballon d’Or Féminin wins.
The president took time to speak with reporters across several subjects, one of which was Yamal, suggesting that fans could see him back on the pitch on Sunday, Sept. 28.
“He said he might be fine for Real Sociedad,” Laporta revealed, which would seemingly rule the player out of involvement any earlier against Real Oviedo on Thursday night.
In Yamal’s ongoing absence in the short-term, it remains to be seen whether Flick will recall Marcus Rashford—having dropped the Englishman over lateness prior to facing Getafe—or continue with Ferran Torres. The latter scored twice in the first half, with Rashford appearing from the bench later.
