Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has hit back at critics of his use of wonderkid Lamine Yamal after the Barcelona star was forced to withdraw from international duty.
Yamal, 17, reported hamstring problems after playing in Spain’s 1-0 win over Denmark on Saturday. It was subsequently decided that he would return to Barcelona for further treatment.
The teenage ace has featured in all of Barcelona’s games this season after starring in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory last summer, despite only turning 17 in July.
Concerns have been raised that he is being outplayed at such an early stage in his career, but De La Fuente has defended his reliance on Yamal.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s Nations League match against Serbia, De La Fuente said: ‘Lamine had some discomfort at the end of the match. I spoke to him and he told me that he didn’t think he would be 100% fit on Tuesday and that when in doubt we always gamble on the health of the athlete.
Lamine Yamal reported hamstring discomfort on Saturday after playing for Spain
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente is confident he has not outplayed the 17-year-old
‘Football is football, if it has to happen, it happens. The message is always the same and that’s why he’s home. He played because he had to play and there is no more discussion.
“What saddens me most is that there are people who take the bait. I’ll make that clear. Last year we played seventeen international matches because we were lucky to reach the final of the European Championship, but this year we will play ten. A total of 27 in two years, one per month. The problem is another and we have enough with our own problems.
‘I haven’t spoken to anyone at Barça, although I have a good relationship with them. He’s been honest, he’s not feeling well and I thank him for having the maturity to tell me he’s not 100 percent. I thank him for that.’
Yamal has had a brilliant start to the season for Barcelona, with five goals and five assists in 11 games in all competitions.
Yamal played 50 games for Barcelona last season and was heavily involved again this season after starring in the 2024 European Championship for Spain
He has achieved these impressive figures after making 50 appearances for Barcelona in his first full senior season last season.
But there are concerns about his amount of playing time, especially following injuries in recent seasons to teammates Pedri and Gavi after they were used excessively in their early years at club and international level.
However, De La Fuente is not concerned that injury setbacks could become a regular occurrence for Yamal. He emphasizes that the right decision has been made this time about his fitness to avoid being sidelined for a longer period.