Spain coach Luis de la Fuente says he took “zero risks” with Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal’s fitness during the September international break.
Yamal, 18, started both Spain’s World Cup 2026 qualifying games last month against Bulgaria and Turkey, but subsequently missed four Barca games with a groin injury.
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The attacker has since returned to action for his club, and was named on Friday in Spain’s squad for the qualifiers at home to Georgia and Bulgaria.
Asked at the squad announcement if he made any mistakes in his handling of the situation last month, De la Fuente was clear he had no regrets about what had happened.
“Here, we take zero risks,” De la Fuente said. “Whoever comes in, comes in healthy, fit to play. And when they go back home, it is because we have judged there was a risk in staying with us.“
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick claimed that Yamal had already joined September’s Spain camp with a minor problem, that he did not complete a full training session with the national team, and that he even took painkillers to play against Bulgaria and Turkey.
“I’m very sad about this,” Flick said. “This is not taking care of players.”
De la Fuente played down any idea of a conflict with Flick, but suggested he expected more “empathy” from someone who was previously Germany national team coach.
“There’s no conflict with Flick,” he said. “Simply, his comments that we do not look after players surprised me, as he has been a national team coach and I believed he had that empathy. But nothing else, everyone says what they need to say.”
Asked if Yamal had played against Bulgaria and Turkey with an injury, De la Fuente dismissed the idea that he or anyone from the Spain camp would hide any issue with a player.
“I always tell the truth,” he said. “What happened was, when the (Turkey) game ended, he had a bit of an issue. But I don’t pick players who are carrying an injury. Our medical services have explained it, I have explained it. If he had an issue after the game, I don’t know.”
Yamal will join up with Spain’s national team camp next Monday, assuming he comes through Barcelona’s game at Sevilla on Sunday afternoon.
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De la Fuente said he would speak with the player, and RFEF medical staff would assess any injury issue before deciding if he continued with the group or returned to Barcelona.
”It’s normal,” he said. “We speak with the players, we know first hand how they are. If a club tells us that a player has an issue, we check it out. We’ll see how Lamine gets on this weekend, how much he participates.“
(Photo: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images)
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