All eyes at the Ciutat Esportiva, beyond Frenkie de Jong’s recovery, are focused on Lamine Yamal’s physical condition. The young winger returned injured from the Spanish national team camp and was unable to play in the match against Valencia. His pubis discomfort and back pain have raised alarms at Barça.

Hansi Flick publicly confirmed that the academy product had to be injected with painkillers before Spain’s matches, a revelation that surprised and upset the Blaugrana club. While Luis de la Fuente claimed no player had significant issues, Yamal played 79 minutes against Bulgaria and 73 minutes against Turkey. The result: he returned injured and, barring a miracle, will also miss Barça’s Champions League debut against Newcastle.

The Spanish Federation’s Stance

According to the newspaper Sport, the RFEF insists that Barça was kept informed at all times and that the decision to play the second match was left to the player himself. For the Culés, this was irresponsible: they believe the decision should never have been placed on an 18-year-old footballer but rather on the Federation’s medical staff.

Barça criticizes the fact that, far from protecting him, the national team pushed Yamal to play with painkillers, exposing him to unnecessary risks. Now, the winger is training separately from the group with a slim hope of traveling to England, though no one at the club wants to jeopardize his health.

Barça’s Frustration Extends Beyond the National Team

In addition to the discomfort over how Yamal was handled by the national team, another issue has irked the club: despite returning injured, Lamine Yamal had to fulfill promotional commitments with his boot sponsor. He filmed a commercial for over four hours at CE Europa’s stadium, even performing actions with the ball.

The club isn’t hiding its frustration. Hansi Flick was blunt: “He left with discomfort and came back with pain. The national team gave him painkillers, and he still played almost two full matches. This isn’t taking care of players. Spain has great footballers and needs to protect them.”

What’s at Stake

With the Champions League debut around the corner, Barça is unwilling to take risks. Lamine Yamal’s health is the priority: the season is long, and Flick considers him a key piece. Confidence in the players who performed well against Valencia provides some reassurance, but the feeling in the dressing room is clear: Barcelona is upset about how the situation with their academy star was managed by the Spanish national team.