Spain considered not calling up Barcelona star for the international break

Lamine Yamal is all set to return to Barcelona after picking up a hamstring knock during the international break.

Although Yamal’s knock wasn’t serious, Spain had apparently received multiple warnings from Barcelona about the youngster’s fitness.

According to Mundo Deportivo, RFEF, too, had considered not calling up Yamal for the international break, but he was deemed too important for Spain.

RFEF considered resting Yamal

As per the report, Barcelona had warned RFEF to be cautious with Lamine Yamal during the international break.

The Catalan club hoped that the young winger, who has been playing significant minutes this season, would be released from international duty to avoid overexertion and potential injury.

There were indeed serious discussions within the RFEF about resting him, given his workload and the club’s concerns.

RFEF had received warning signs from Barcelona (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

Why did RFEF call up Yamal?

However, with Spain needing a crucial victory against Denmark to secure their qualification for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, Yamal was deemed too valuable to be left out.

Adding to the decision, the Barcelona player had already accumulated a yellow card, meaning that if he received another one during the Denmark match, he would automatically miss the following game against Serbia.

This led to internal expectations within the national team’s coaching staff that Lamine would pick up a booking and serve his suspension in the next fixture. However, despite playing the full match, he did not receive a yellow card.

Unfortunately, this led to a worst-case scenario for both Spain and Barcelona. Yamal ended up suffering a hamstring injury during the match, which, while not severe, will require time to recover.

Having now returned to Barcelona, it remains to be seen whether or not the forward will be available for the upcoming game against Sevilla.