Yamal was not included in the squad that traveled to England on 17/9. After tests revealed his groin injury hadn't healed as expected, Barcelona's coaching staff decided to leave the 18-year-old at home.
Yamal first felt discomfort over two weeks ago while on international duty with Spain. He took painkillers to play in two World Cup qualifiers, victories against Bulgaria (3-0) and Turkey (6-0). Since returning to Barcelona, Yamal has been unable to train and missed the team's 6-0 La Liga win over Valencia on 14/9.
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Yamal (blond hair) celebrates with goalscorer Torres during Spain's 6-0 World Cup qualifying win over Turkey on 7/9. *Photo: AP* |
Barcelona coach, Hansi Flick, accused the Spanish national team of taking risks with their players. He believes Yamal should have been rested instead of playing more than two-thirds of both qualifying matches. "They were three goals ahead in each game, and he still played 79 and 73 minutes. Between matches, he couldn't train. That's not how you take care of a player," Flick said.
Yamal's absence could impact Barcelona, especially in crucial matches. Last season, the 18-year-old forward contributed 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games. He also played a pivotal role in orchestrating play, creating chances, and scoring goals in four victories against Real Madrid (in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey), as well as wins against Bayern Munich (4-1), Dortmund (4-0), and both Champions League semi-final legs against Inter.
On the evening of 18/9, Barcelona will begin their 2025-2026 Champions League campaign at Newcastle's St James' Park. Newcastle recently lost Alexander Isak to Liverpool but acquired Nick Woltemade. In his debut, the young German forward scored a header to secure a 1-0 Premier League victory over Wolves on 13/9.
"It's a shame Yamal is out," Newcastle's coach Eddie Howe said. "But no matter who they play, Barcelona are very quick on the wings. They have world-class players who can hurt us in many different ways. We have to be really strong and defend well".
Newcastle's last Champions League appearance was in the 2023-2024 season, where they finished bottom of their group with five points, behind Dortmund (11 points), PSG (8 points), and AC Milan (8 points).
Barcelona have won three and lost one of their four previous encounters with Newcastle. The teams first met in 1997 when Faustino Asprilla's hat-trick led Newcastle to a 3-2 victory at St James' Park. Barcelona won the return leg 1-0 and both matches in the 2002-2003 season (3-1 and 2-0).
Thanh Quy (via ESPN)
