Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the domestic season following a hamstring injury sustained during Wednesday's match against Celta Vigo, according to aljazeera.com.
The 18-year-old striker collapsed in pain immediately after scoring a penalty to secure a 1-0 victory for the Catalan club. The injury occurred while Barcelona was attempting to maintain a nine-point lead over Real Madrid in the La Liga standings.
In a statement released via social media, Barcelona confirmed the diagnosis involves the biceps femoris muscle in Yamal's left leg. The club noted that the player will follow a conservative treatment plan.
While the injury ends Yamal's club campaign with six games left to play, the club expects the forward to be available for the 2026 World Cup. Aljazeera reports that a moderate hamstring strain typically requires a four-to-six-week recovery period.
Road to the 2026 World Cup
Spain's opening match of the tournament is scheduled for June 15 against Cape Verde. This date falls approximately seven-and-a-half weeks after the injury occurred.
If the injury requires the maximum six-week recovery period, Yamal could potentially participate in the group stage. His final group game against Uruguay is set for June 27, roughly nine weeks from the incident against Celta Vigo.
Yamal has been a pivotal figure for both club and country, recently helping Spain secure the Euro 2024 title. He enters the break having scored 24 goals for Barcelona this season, including 18 during the La Liga campaign.
The young forward expressed his frustration regarding the setback on social media. "This injury is keeping me off the pitch just when I wanted to be there the most, and it hurts more than I can put into words," Yamal wrote.
He added that while he cannot help his teammates on the pitch right now, he intends to support them from the sidelines. "I’ll be there, even if it’s from the sidelines, supporting, cheering and pushing them on just like one of the lads," he said.
Yamal concluded his message with a promise to return to competition. "This isn’t the end, it’s just a break. I’ll come back stronger, more determined than ever, and next season will be better."
