Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal will miss a second straight game with an ankle injury, but coach Hansi Flick on Friday called on his remaining players to take part in his absence in the La Liga clash against Celta Vigo this weekend. of week.
The 17-year-old missed the 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad, which ended Barça’s run of seven consecutive wins in all competitions two weeks ago, and Flick said his players must show they can win without feel like teenagers.
“Tomorrow I will ask the team the question: it will be a very good question for them (if they win without Yamal),” Flick said at a press conference on Friday.
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“We didn’t play well against Real Sociedad and it wasn’t because of Lamín’s absence. He is a very important player for us, but we can play well without him.
“He will not be able to play tomorrow, we do not know when he will return from his injury, but I am clear that we want him to return only when he is 100 percent recovered.”
Yamal played a huge role in Spain’s European title victory in Germany earlier this year, winning the ‘Best Goal’ and ‘Young Player of the Tournament’ awards during his campaign.
He has five goals and seven assists this season to help Barça lead the La Liga table with 33 points, six ahead of second-placed rival Real Madrid with one game remaining.
Flick suggested that he may need to adjust his system as it is difficult to replace a player with such a combination of speed, technique and finishing.
“We may be a little limited because Lamin (Yamal) won’t be there,” Flick said.
“But we have many high-quality players and they can play in different positions. We see what we need and develop a game plan.
“It is always important to come back strong and confident after the international break. This is the goal of tomorrow.”
Atlético de Madrid, third in the standings and one point behind Real Madrid, hosts Alavés on Saturday.
