Groin Injury Hindering His Explosiveness

The brilliance of Lamine Yamal has dimmed in recent weeks. Renowned sports traumatologist Pedro Luis Ripoll confirmed that the Barcelona wonderkid is struggling with pubalgia — a chronic groin condition that causes constant pain and severely restricts explosive movement.

The issue, which has worsened due to a congested match schedule, was evident during Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. The young attacker looked physically restricted, avoiding powerful shots and lacking his trademark bursts of acceleration.

“Pubalgia is a very difficult injury to treat. It causes pain that reduces a player’s ability to move and shoot by 50% — exactly what we saw in El Clásico,” explained Dr. Ripoll in an interview with El Larguero. “It’s a disabling pain that allows the player to compete but prevents him from reaching his best level.”

Barcelona’s medical staff is closely monitoring the player’s workload to avoid worsening the injury. If not handled properly, recovery could take several weeks or even months, and both club and national-team doctors are concerned about the situation.

Carvajal’s Latest Setback Adds to Madrid’s Concerns

Dr. Ripoll also spoke about Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal, who suffered another setback in his right knee and will require arthroscopic surgery. The club confirmed that he has a “loose body” in the joint — a condition that can lead to pain, swelling, and even mechanical blockage.

“It’s a fragment of cartilage or bone that comes loose and moves freely inside the joint,” explained Ripoll. “In severe cases, it can cause joint locking, which is quite serious.”

The injury is another blow for Xabi Alonso, who must now reshuffle his defense. With Trent Alexander-Arnold still recovering from a muscle issue, Federico Valverde could once again be deployed as a makeshift right-back.

El Clásico Chaos and Rising Tension

The injury discussions followed a heated post-match confrontation at the Bernabéu, where Carvajal approached Yamal after the final whistle, reportedly telling him: “You talk too much — let’s see you talk now.” The exchange stemmed from the young winger’s pre-match Twitch comments, where he joked that “Real Madrid steal,” angering several Los Blancos players, including Vinícius Jr. and Jude Bellingham.

The defeat leaves Barcelona five points behind Real Madrid in the La Liga standings, and with Lamine Yamal far from full fitness, Hansi Flick faces the challenge of reigniting his team’s attacking spark in the coming fixtures.