Out of the 13 league games they have played in this 2024-25 season, FC Barcelona have lost only two of them. First, the Blaugranes fell to a defeat against Osasuna at the El Sadar, and then they once again suffered a defeat away from home when they faced Real Sociedad right before the start of this November international break.
Both these defeats suffered by the Catalans shared a unique attribute, i.e., the winger Lamine Yamal was not in the starting lineup for Hansi Flick. Against Osasuna, Flick decided to provide some rest to the youngster, while against Real Sociedad, Yamal was unable to participate because of an injury to his right ankle.
This state of affairs goes on to highlight the importance of the teenager in the Barcelona team, and thus, the Barcelona coach will be particularly looking forward to having Yamal back in action for another upcoming difficult game against Celta Vigo at the Balaidos.
As things stand, the winger’s participation in this match is under serious doubt. However, SPORT reports that he can still be available for this game, and Flick will make a decision in this regard after the last two training sessions ahead of this game, which were scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday.
However, despite the importance that Yamal enjoys in Flick’s setup, the Barcelona trainer will not take any risks with such an important player, especially keeping in view the fact that he is still only 17 years of age.
In addition to the winger, these last two training sessions will also provide Flick with an idea about Robert Lewandowski’s ability to participate in the upcoming game. The Pole is suffering from a lumbar problem, but his chances of returning for the Celta Vigo game are brighter than those of Yamal.
Another player whose participation in this game is subject to serious doubt is the midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who returned to Barcelona early from his national team for medical reasons.