Barcelona and Spain wonderkid Lamine Yamal is set to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
The alarm bells sounded in Spain on Wednesday night after Yamal hobbled off with the issue after scoring a penalty during his side’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo – less than two months before the World Cup gets underway.
Yamal, 18, is central to his country’s World Cup aspirations having played a crucial role during their Euro 2024 triumph, but his issue left officials sweating over his availability after he clutched his left hamstring following his spot kick in the first half at the Nou Camp.
And on Thursday afternoon, the Catalan giants revealed the prognosis of the issue, along with an update on his World Cup chances.
In a statement, they said: ‘The tests carried out have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has a hamstring injury in his left leg (biceps femoris muscle).
‘The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the season, and he is expected to be available for the World Cup.’
Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of the season after suffering a hamstring injury on Wednesday
The Spain forward picked up the injury while taking a penalty with the World Cup now just 50 days away
After the spot kick, the teenager was immediately attended to by club medical staff and was able to walk off the field of play before Hansi Flick replaced him with Roony Bardghji.
‘I hope Lamine misses the fewest possible amount of time,’ said Barcelona and Spain team-mate Pedri after the game.
‘He’ll undergo the tests tomorrow and we’ll see the nature of the issue. I wish him all the best, and that he stays calm because he’s still young’.
Spanish publication Diario AS had initially reported that he may have suffered a muscle tear.
The typical return time for a muscle tear injury is varied. For a grade one tear, just days can pass before a player can return. Grade two typically requires around three weeks of recovery and a grade three tear can take three months or more to come back from.
Spain’s first game at the World Cup is on June 15 against Cape Verde, which is in 53 days – or nearly eight weeks.
They also have Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in their group.
Yamal was seen walking down the tunnel at the Nou Camp, with fans watching on nervously.
He has struggled with groin issues this season, but the incident appeared to be a separate injury.
The forward has netted 24 goals and picked up a further 17 assists in 44 games this season.
