Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente is confident that teenage winger Lamine Yamal could recover from a knee injury in time for Sunday’s Nations League clash against England in Madrid.
The 19-year-old Barcelona star will miss Spain’s away fixture against the Czech Republic in Prague on Thursday after suffering discomfort in his knee during Barcelona’s 2-1 La Liga victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Medical examinations revealed inflammation and fluid in Yamal’s knee, prompting Spain’s coaching staff to give him additional recovery time rather than risk worsening the injury.
“He got hurt in the last match, he had some discomfort in one knee, he went for the usual treatment, a scan in Barcelona, and they saw he had inflammation and fluid in the knee — that meant he needed rest,” De la Fuente told reporters.
“Our medical staff and his medical staff have a fantastic relationship, and I decided that his trip here should be avoided without knowing whether he’d be in any condition to play.”
Despite the setback, De la Fuente remains encouraged by Yamal’s progress and expects him to join the national squad on Friday.
“He’s doing a series of exercises with his physio and with the club that indicate the recovery is going well,” the coach said.
“We believe, I’m optimistic, that on Friday he’ll be with us.”
De la Fuente also rejected suggestions that Yamal, who finished third in October’s Ballon d’Or voting, receives preferential treatment.
“He has no privileges, and his teammates are relaxed about it, because we treat everyone the same,” he insisted.
“In similar situations we would have done exactly the same for any other player, and the players know that.”
Spain has already secured a Nations League quarterfinal berth after winning all four Group A3 matches. The team is also enjoying an impressive 43-match unbeaten run in competitive football.
“We want to keep setting new milestones, and this is another one,” De la Fuente said.
“None of us would probably ever have thought we’d even reach 35, because we already felt those were astronomical numbers, but having reached 43, you think, my goodness, we want to get to 44, of course we do.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Mikel Merino, who scored twice in Spain’s previous victory over Croatia, expressed his desire for more playing time while respecting the coach’s decisions.
“Of course, what player wouldn’t like to get (more) minutes?” Merino said.
“You’ll never hear me complain about the coach’s decision, I will respect it… but all players want to be important, have minutes and enjoy themselves on the pitch.”
Spain will now look to extend its unbeaten streak while hoping Yamal returns for the England encounter.
