Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal has admitted that he was worried that he would miss the World Cup when he went down with injury against Espanyol in April. The 18-year-old is set to be the face of Spain’s World Cup bid, but is recovering from a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out of the first game against Cape Verde.
Manager Luis de la Fuente noted after announcing the squad that those who were not ready for the first game would be fit for the second against Saudi Arabia. While that will be the target for the teenage star, there has been some suggestion that he could miss that game too. Speaking to Marca from the Spain camp, Lamine Yamal explained his thinking after he suffered the injury.
“Yes, I remember the sequence in which I got injured. I was praying internally that it was nothing serious, just a cramp or something, because I was so close to the World Cup and I knew it was a hamstring injury, something I’d never had before, but it wasn’t a small thing. So I was afraid it was serious, and especially afraid that it wasn’t serious but that I could relapse and miss the World Cup.”
Break could help with fatigue during World Cup
Naturally, Lamine Yamal would far rather be fit and firing for the tournament, but the Barcelona winger did concede that it would allow his body a break before going to the United States, Canada and Mexico, rather than fatigued from the run-in.
“It’s also true that it helps to be playing in a World Cup, so your mind is as if you haven’t played a single game all season and I’m really looking forward to making my debut.”
“The pressure suits me” – Lamine Yamal
Being the biggest stage in football, every player will be keen to feature. Yet Lamine Yamal has never been shy in the spotlight, and noted that the pressure that comes with it is not an issue for him.
“It suits me better, maybe more or less, but it suits me better. In the end, when your standards are higher, you raise your level. If my standards were the same as another player’s, maybe I wouldn’t be playing at the level I am. So I like it this way, I see it as a challenge and I really enjoy it.”
“In my mind it’s like I’ve been playing football for 10 years, but in reality it’s only been 3, and 4 years ago I was playing with them at the sports centre. So a kid who was playing with you 3 years ago is now going to play in a World Cup. It has to be crazy, really crazy.”
Lamine Yamal is not the only injury concern for de la Fuente, with Nico Williams also currently recovering from injury, after a season hampered by fitness issues. Mikel Merino is also coming off the back of a long-term absence, although he is now fit to play at least.
