Injury rules Barcelona winger out for up to four weeks

Lamine Yamal will be out for between three and four weeks with damaged ankle ligaments, LaLiga leaders Barcelona have said.

Spain winger Yamal missed three club games and two international matches with an ankle injury in November but had returned to contribute four assists in five matches before suffering a new problem in Barca’s 1-0 defeat at home to Leganes on Sunday.

The 17-year-old was replaced by Gavi in the 75th minute at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys as his side dropped points for the fifth time in six league matches.

Lamine Yamal. Golden Boy. pic.twitter.com/7oQ2kSan0h

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 15, 2024

Yamal injury: When will he be back?

Yamal’s absence is a considerable blow to Barcelona as they prepare to host second-placed Atletico Madrid on Saturday (8pm GMT).

The Euro 2024 winner is unlikely to be missed as much when Barca visit fourth-tier Barbastro in the Copa del Rey round of 32 on January 4 (6pm), and the earliest he could return is their game against Athletic Bilbao in Jeddah in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals on January 8 (7pm).

Barcelona will then have a break of more than 10 days before visiting Getafe – who are currently fifth-bottom of LaLiga – in mid-January.

Their seventh Champions League match of the campaign is at Portuguese side Benfica in the league phase on January 21 (7pm).

MEDICAL NEWS ❗️

The first team player Lamine Yamal received a blow to the right ankle during the game against CD Leganés on Sunday. Tests carried out on Monday have revealed that the player has a grade 1 injury to a ligament in the ankle. The player is expected to be out for 3… pic.twitter.com/IAFD0pWFSS

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 16, 2024

Yamal stats

With six club goals and 11 assists this season, Yamal is behind Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha among Barca’s top scorers and has the third-most assists of any player in Europe’s five major leagues.

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Liverpool top scorer Mohamed Salah are the only players to have set up more goals across those divisions.

He had completed 90 minutes in each of Barcelona’s past three matches, including an assist for Ferran Torres’ 85th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory at Borussia Dortmund on December 11.

Barcelona lost three of the four games Yamal did not start before their 5-1 win at Mallorca on December 3, when the prodigy provided two assists.

🔄 Substitutions

→🟢 Gavi, Cubarsí
←🔴 Lamine Yamal, Eric#BarçaLeganés pic.twitter.com/QiaXXlFEB0

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 15, 2024

Barcelona: Yamal ‘very important’

“He is very important,” manager Hansi Flick said after that match. “He can generate many things for the team. We know his quality and we need him.”

Barcelona’s loss of form has handed the initiative to Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the Spanish title race, both of whom have a game more to play than Flick’s side.

Atleti are level on points with them, while the reigning champions are a point behind.