As was the case against Real Sociedad, the German coach will have to devise a starting eleven without Yamal ahead of the match against Celta, with many solutions revolving around Fermín.
Lamine Yamal will miss the clash against Celta de Vigo, and it’s highly unlikely he will be fit for next Tuesday’s Champions League game against Brest. The ankle discomfort persists, and the pain has not subsided, so the club is taking a cautious approach and will not take any risks with the player.
Hansi Flick, as he did against Real Sociedad, faces the challenge of assembling a team without his most dynamic player and one of the key creators of the team’s offensive play, both in dangerous attacks and in providing assists and goals. This is no easy task, as the team has only suffered two defeats in La Liga (to Osasuna and Real), and the common factor in both matches was that Lamine Yamal did not start. At the Real Arena, he was left in the stands, and at El Sadar, he came on with the score at 2-1 against.
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With Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres still sidelined due to injury, Flick’s options seem to rely heavily on continuing to trust Fermín, who was already the alternative against Real Sociedad. However, there can also be nuances in this scenario. Against Imanol’s side, he was deployed as a right winger but struggled to find his rhythm and never felt comfortable. With a very different profile to that of Lamine, he barely penetrated down the flank and tended to drift towards the center. On the right, Yamal and Koundé developed an understanding that simply does not exist with other players.
One option could be to position him behind Lewandowski, with Raphinha on the right and Dani Olmo shifting to the left wing. This wouldn’t be out of the question, as the former Leipzig man has played in that position on numerous occasions, especially for the Spanish national team. The Brazilian would also benefit, as he has always preferred to play on the right, although at Barcelona, Dembélé and later Lamine took that space away from him.
Another possibility would be to keep Olmo as a central attacking midfielder, a role in which he has excelled this season due to his good connection and ability to link up with the other attacking players, while moving Fermín to the left wing, a position he is not unfamiliar with either. However, it is true that the Andalusian’s best qualities get stifled on either flank. Additionally, Olmo is a goal-scoring midfielder with a good shot, and playing behind the striker allows him to create greater danger.
As a more remote option, giving Pau Víctor a starting role could be considered, as he has only played 142 minutes in La Liga this season across the eight matches he has participated in. In his case, he could operate on either wing of the attack.
