Lamine Yamal out of Spain squad with right knee problem ahead of Barcelona v Villarreal
Yamal will not travel to Prague and will continue his recovery in Barcelona, according to Relevo. The RFEF hopes to have him back for England on 15 November, a week before Barcelona host Villarreal.
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Lamine Yamal will not travel with the Spain squad to Prague because of discomfort in his right knee and will continue his recovery in Barcelona, according to Relevo. The FC Barcelona player will miss the match against the Czech Republic. The RFEF hopes to have him available for the game against England on Sunday 15 November.
Sport reports that the problem appeared after the match against Atlético Madrid and that Yamal underwent medical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. He is not joining Monday's training camp in Las Rozas. Barcelona won that match at the Metropolitano 2-1 away from home, 1-2 in the scoreline.
How Barcelona approach Villarreal
Hansi Flick's side lead La Liga with 33 points after 12 matchdays: 11 wins, one defeat, 48 goals scored and 13 conceded. Their last five matches include three straight wins (1-2 at Atlético, 3-0 against Aston Villa and 6-1 against Alavés), after defeats by Real Madrid (1-2) and Paris Saint-Germain (4-2).
Yamal is not the only recent absence. Relevo reported that Rodri would not play at the Metropolitano and that Frenkie de Jong could take his place alongside Pedri and Fermín, while Dani Olmo was still recovering. On the other side, El Desmarque says Eric García and Andreas Christensen had overcome their physical problems and were in the squad.
Barcelona host Villarreal at the Camp Nou on Sunday 22 November at 17:00, in matchday 13 of La Liga. The visitors from Castellón are eighth in the league table with 15 points, four wins, three draws and five defeats. They come off a 2-0 win over Getafe, but before that they lost 0-6 to Paris Saint-Germain.
Yamal's absence with Spain does not decide the Camp Nou match on its own, but it sets the timetable for his knee. The expected return date, 15 November, falls before the Villarreal game. If he plays against England, Flick will have him with recent minutes. If he does not make it, the doubt over his condition moves straight to the squad for Sunday 22 November.
Sources: Relevo, Sport, Relevo, El Desmarque.
