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Lamine Yamal suffers a tackle during the match between Spain and Denmark. José Jordán / AFP
De la Fuente releases Lamine Yamal and avoids clash with Barça

De la Fuente releases Lamine Yamal and avoids clash with Barça

The Barça prodigy finished the match against Denmark with a strain, and the coach, encouraged by the good performance of the 'B unit', opts to manage his playing time

José Manuel Andrés

Murcia

Domingo, 13 de octubre 2024, 16:40

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Lamine Yamal has concluded his participation in this October international break. Suffering from a strain after playing the entire match against Denmark, the Barça winger has packed his bags to return to Barcelona after undergoing an MRI at the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas that ruled out any significant injury.

In any case, and given the suspicions that had arisen in Barcelona due to the player's accumulation of minutes, Luis de la Fuente and the federation opted for the diplomatic route as they did in the case of Nico Williams, freeing the Barça player from the match against Serbia in Córdoba, where Spain can secure a spot in the knockout stage of the Nations League.

The Riojan coach is backed by the great performance of the 'B unit'. De la Fuente breathes easy, aware that he has at his disposal a wide roster of more than 30 players capable of delivering notable performance in a high-demand context like La Roja.

The strength of less frequent players and the comfortable group standings contribute to the debate about the need for rotations during international breaks. It remains to be seen who will address this issue, whether elite clubs, which play more matches each season due to UEFA and FIFA demands but pay hefty player salaries, or national teams, whose match volume is much lower but still demanding.

Lamine Yamal's physical issues are minor, as the Barça prodigy simply ended up strained after the match, opening another front of suspicion towards the coach. The Barça environment was not pleased that he kept their young gem on the field for the full 90 minutes, especially when he left Enrique Roca de Murcia limping.

The Barça winger, who turned 17 in July, has played almost everything this season. With Barça, eleven official matches, nine in La Liga and two in Champions League. He started ten of them and played all minutes in six, so it cannot be said that Hansi Flick manages him sparingly.

With the Spanish national team, he also played all three Nations League matches following their Euro title win. Although he played full matches against Serbia in Belgrade and Denmark in Murcia, he only played the first 45 minutes of their win against Switzerland in Geneva.

For now, De la Fuente has yielded in this struggle but is aware of the player's exceptional talent and another title like the Nations League is at stake, where Spain also defends its crown. "He had an exceptional attitude and generated a lot of imbalance," praised the Riojan coach about the player's performance.

Danish toughness

"Football is like this; you have to apply yourself with toughness allowed by regulations. Football is football and everyone uses their weapons. The referee must set limits. It's about intimidation, seeking contact... This is what they aim for with such young and talented players. Referees must draw the line, but he will have to get used to it," he noted regarding Denmark's tough play against one of Spain's great figures, which surely worried much of Barça's fans when they saw their player leave with muscle discomfort.

With this difficult balance between performance and caution, De la Fuente must deal with it, accompanied by less frequent players' performance. David Raya once again excelled to such an extent that he challenged Unai Simón's starting position upon his return. Zubimendi not only covered Rodri's absence but also became a hero with his decisive goal. Lastly, Pedro Porro faced with replacing Carvajal provided offensive support and handled defensive duties securely.

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