Yamal appears to bear primary blame for injury

It appears Lamine Yamal bears some responsibility for his recent injury, which sidelined him from Barcelona's match against Valencia on Sunday.

The Catalan forward is experiencing groin pain, which reportedly emerged and likely worsened during his stint with the Spanish national team for two World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey. It seems the player himself insisted on playing despite not being in peak condition, exacerbating the issue.

"Sport" and "AS" report that the medical staffs of both Barcelona and the national team were in communication regarding Yamal's problems.

After the match in Sofia, where the player logged 73 minutes, the national team informed the "Blaugrana" that the footballer was experiencing pain and even spent a day confined to his hotel.

However, he was then given an injection, which allowed Yamal to play against the Turks as well.

The Catalan club maintained constant contact with Spain's medical staff, who warned of the player's discomfort, describing acute lower back pain and the need for prolonged treatment. Despite these warnings, he played 79 minutes.

Barcelona possesses written evidence confirming the player was experiencing pain. Nevertheless, he played 79 minutes in Konya, even though the outcome of the match was already decided in favor of Luis de la Fuente's team after just half an hour.

The communications Barcelona received from the Spanish camp detail "acute lower back pain," "prolonged treatment," and the player "remaining in the hotel for procedures." The Spanish camp also specified the treatment, explicitly stating he was injected with Voltaren (or a similar medication).

Hansi Flick's frustration also stems from the national team's assurance that, given Lamine's discomfort, a "zero risk" approach would be adopted, a promise Barcelona believes was not upheld, as the facts demonstrate.

It's also true that all communications from La Roja indicated the player himself would have the final say on his condition. And it seems clear that Lamine stated he felt ready to play.

However, Barcelona argues that this involves an 18-year-old footballer with no experience in such situations, and someone from the technical or medical staff should have either prevented him from playing or at least managed his minutes on the field.