Hansi Flick could have a problem against RC Celta. Lamine Yamal has a syndesmosis injury in his right ankle, suffered in the match against Red Star. The medical report from Barça stipulated that he would be out for 2 to 3 weeks. The Blaugrana will visit Balaídos, a very difficult ground, 13 days after the announcement about their star's injury, so playing him could be risky.
Zero wins without Lamine as a starter
FC Barcelona have played 17 games between the league and the Champions League. They have won 14 and lost 3. As for the matches lost, the first was in European competition and the other two in the domestic championship. Focusing on LaLiga, in neither of the two matches, against Osasuna and Real Sociedad, Lamine Yamal started as a starter.
Against the red team, the young star of the culé team sat on the bench from the start, with the aim of giving him a rest. With the score at 2-1, he entered the field in the 59th minute, replacing Pau Víctor, looking to help the team come back. However, despite the fact that he managed to score a goal, the final result was 4-2.
Regarding the visit to Real Sociedad, the last match played before the break, Yamal did not play a single minute. His injury against Red Star forced him to watch the match from the stands. Barça suffered greatly from his absence, being a very flat team in attack and lacking creativity.
How to replace Lamine?
If Hansi Flick decides not to play the striker, which will depend on his feelings in the previous days, he will have to complete a puzzle to find a solution. In addition, he does not have many options, since Ferrán and Ansu are injured; as well as Toni Fernández, a reserve team player called up on several occasions to the first team.
One of the ways is the one used against Real Sociedad, placing Raphinha on one wing and Fermín on the other. In this line, Pau Víctor could also be chosen to occupy one of the wings, in company of the Brazilian. The problem with this option is that there is no player who offers the overflow and impudence that Lamine has, not even half of it. It is also true that it is one of the limitations of this squad.
The second option is for Fermín to occupy the attacking midfield, Raphinha on the left wing and Dani Olmo on the right. This possibility would allow the three players to alternate between them according to the needs of the team in the match. In this way, Barça would have a lot of quality in the back three, although it is likely that they will suffer from a lack of depth.
Finally, there is the possibility of calling up a player from Barça Atlètic. Toni Fernández is not an option because he is out. The most conservative alternative is Unai Hernández, captain of the reserve team and one of those called up by Flick for the pre-season tour. He could occupy the left wing or the attacking midfield and Olmo and Raphinha could share the wings. There is also Aziz Issah, who plays on the right, but has only played one game with the second team.