The return of Lamine Yamal: the big question that remains open

The return of Lamine Yamal to the first team is the best news for FC Barcelona ahead of the Supercopa de España. The player will reappear in Jeddah with the blue and claret squad, although he will do so with very little training alongside his teammates and doubts regarding his starting position against the Athletic Club have increased.

The star from Mataró has been sidelined since December 15, when he was injured against Leganés. The club warned of an estimated recovery time of between 3 and 4 weeks, but after the victory against Barbastro last Saturday, Hansi Flick stated that "I think Lamine will be able to play on Wednesday against Athletic.”

However, the player's sensations will determine his availability. The winger used a medical boot until December 29, so until a week ago he could not perform any cardio exercises, and with less than 72 hours to face the Bilbao team in the tournament semifinals, the player has hardly had time for high-intensity training.

Lamine will not take risks

Yamal is clear that he will not push himself even a millimeter as his goal is to avoid future relapses. The forward wants to help the team, but he will only do so if his physical condition is at 100%. For that reason, and despite his positive progress, all signs point to the player possibly coming off the bench next Wednesday against Athletic Club.

However, the existing urgencies in the squad due to the absence of Dani Olmo keep Flick on edge. The German will have to make a decision based on Lamine's feelings in the coming hours, although the priority will be to not take any risks with the player's physical condition.