Rehab in Tennessee and Missing the Final Tune-Up
Spanish winger Lamine Yamal is continuing his recovery from an injured left hamstring and will remain at Spain's base camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee, rather than traveling with the team for their final pre-World Cup friendly against Peru in Puebla, Mexico. The 18-year-old phenom suffered a partial tear of his hamstring on April 22 while playing for FC Barcelona against Celta Vigo, causing him to miss the remainder of the LaLiga season. Despite the injury, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente chose him for his first World Cup. Fellow forwards Nico Williams and Victor Munoz have also remained at the training base in Tennessee to continue their rehabilitation from injuries rather than travel to Mexico.
Racing the Clock for the World Cup Opener
Spain will open their World Cup campaign on June 15 against Cape Verde in Atlanta, and de la Fuente has expressed optimism regarding his players' availability. "If there are no setbacks in the coming days, we expect them to be available on the 15th," de la Fuente stated, adding that he thinks all three players will be in a position to play. The coach emphasized that the players are meeting their expected timelines to arrive in good condition. However, he remained cautious about whether Yamal would definitely take the pitch, noting that he might only play a few minutes or just practice to improve his condition for the subsequent matches.
Barcelona's Conditions for Yamal's Return
According to a report from the Spanish newspaper Diario AS, FC Barcelona has established specific conditions regarding Yamal's return to the pitch. The club requested that Yamal play no more than 15 minutes in the opening match against Cape Verde, and a maximum of 60 minutes in Spain's second group match against Saudi Arabia. To facilitate this recovery strategy, Fernando Galan, a physiotherapist for Barcelona, is working closely with the Spanish national team's medical staff and has overseen Yamal's rehabilitation plan.
