It was a rough weekend for Barcelona, to say the least. Barça's first loss in more than a month, coming against Real Sociedad, was compounded by the injury news of one of its most important players: Lamine Yamal.
The Kopa Trophy Winner was left out of the squad against Real Sociedad and on Monday, Barcelona released a statement detailing the winger suffered a grade one right ankle syndesmosis injury during the UEFA Champions League game against Crvena zvezda.
There weren't any signs of concern midweek, as Yamal played the full 90 minutes in the 5–2 victory in Belgrade. However, it was surprising to see the teenager didn't even appear on the bench at the Anoeta.
"Over the last few days he has followed a course of treatment but the problem persists. The player is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return," the statement read.
Yamal has started 15 of Barça's 17 games this season. Both of Barcelona's La Liga losses of the season have come when Yamal's been absent from the starting lineup.
Here's the latest on Yamal's injury:
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When Will Lamine Yamal Return From Injury?
The club expect Yamal to be sidelined "between two to three weeks." The injury will keep the winger from traveling to face Denmark and Switzerland with Spain's national team during the international break, with Bryan Gil taking his spot in Spain's roster.
Barcelona are back in action following the break Nov. 23 in its La Liga visit to Celta de Vigo. Three days later, it hosts Brest in the UEFA Champions League. It seems likely that Yamal misses both of those games, as Barcelona would be wise not to force a quick return with the risk of further aggravating the ankle injury.
The more likely return date would be in Barcelona's Nov. 30 home La Liga match vs. UD Las Palmas. Over three weeks would've passed since Yamal suffered the injury, more than enough time for him to be back at full fitness if the club's diagnosis is correct. Mallorca on Dec. 4 would be the next possible return fixture for the 17-year-old.
Potential Lamine Yamal Replacements From Barcelona
Fermín López was Hansi Flick's choice to slide into Yamal's right winger role against Real Sociedad and he's the most likely replacement moving forward.
López has done well since returning from injury in late October. He broke into the first team under Xavi playing more towards the middle of the pitch; however, he's played a good amount of his minutes under Flick on the wing and looks poised to continue doing so with Yamal's absence.
Another option to replace Yamal would be Ansu Fati. Minutes have been hard to come by for Fati under Flick, with only one start for the Catalans this season. Unlike López, he's more of a traditional winger, with similar characteristics to Yamal. Still, López remains the favorite to start while Yamal recovers.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lamine Yamal Injury: Progress and Potential Return Date for Barcelona Winger.
