It's bullsh*t — Barcelona coach addresses rumours he was forced to play Lamine Yamal against PSG

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has dismissed reports that he was forced to start Lamine Yamal against Paris Saint-Germain, despite the teenage Spain international arriving late to training. 

Barcelona suffered a debilitating 2-1 loss to PSG at home in their Champions League Matchweek Two fixture. The manner of the defeat served as a dose of reality, showing Barcelona how far they were from being the best team in Europe. 

This led to mass introspection and criticism of the team. What followed were worrying rumours. The most concerning of those rumours involved Yamal. 

Flick famously has a rule against lateness: he strips players who come late to training of their starting berth. This has affected Jules Kounde, Raphinha and, most recently, Marcus Rashford. 

Reports after the PSG game claimed that Yamal came late for training ahead of that game, and Flick intended to bench him before the club's leadership blocked the move. 

Ahead of the Barcelona derby against Girona this weekend, Flick addressed the rumours, stating explicitly that they were false.  

“The rumour circulating about Lamine arriving late to the PSG game is not true; it’s total bullsh*t,” Flick said, per Fabrizio Romano. “Whoever invented that, he is lying.”

Meanwhile, Yamal got injured after the PSG game and missed the international break with Spain. As Pulse Sports reported, his recovery has gone as planned, as he is expected to feature against Girona.