Lamine Yamal feared the worst over “very serious” injury before World Cup

“A very serious injury.” That is the message Lamine Yamal, visibly concerned, shared with teammates and friends on Thursday. He saw it coming.

His reaction on the pitch at Camp Nou, stretching out after “feeling something,” as Hansi Flick later explained, immediately sent a chill through the stadium. Yamal was later seen embracing Flick before heading up the tunnel toward the locker room.

He appeared calm on the surface, which is also how teammates like Gavi and Pedri, along with Flick himself, described him after the match. But underneath, there was real concern about the unknown severity of the injury.

Club officials initially indicated late Wednesday that he would be sidelined for two to three weeks and, given he would miss El Clasico against Real Madrid, he would not play again this season.

Growing concern behind the scenes

However, as Yamal later admitted privately to those closest to him, the situation is more serious than first believed.

Barcelona issued a somewhat surprising medical update. The club referred to a “conservative treatment plan,” language that typically leaves the door open to potential surgery at some stage. The statement also included an unusual note that Yamal would be “available for the World Cup,” a phrase the club does not normally use.

That final line was widely interpreted as reassurance for the player himself, as well as a diplomatic message to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which has been closely monitoring the situation.

At Spain’s training base in Las Rozas, officials experienced hours of uncertainty and internal calls before eventually calming somewhat once more information became available.

World Cup plan already in motion

From this point forward, Spain’s World Cup plan for Yamal is officially underway.

A hamstring injury involving the biceps femoris muscle carries roughly a 30 percent risk of recurrence, according to respected specialist Dr. Ramón Ripoll. The timeline, on paper, offers some hope.

After upcoming fixtures against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, Spain’s first major World Cup match is not until June 27. That leaves roughly two months for recovery and reintegration.

Still, bringing Yamal back to full fitness in time will require extreme caution, precision, and discipline.

As the young star himself has acknowledged in private, this is not a minor setback. It is a serious injury, and one that now shapes both Barcelona’s end to the season and Spain’s World Cup planning.

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