Lamine Yamal Ruled Out of Atletico Clash Following Ankle Injury During Barcelona’s Loss to Leganes
Barcelona has confirmed that Lamine Yamal will miss their crucial top-of-the-table clash against Atletico Madrid after sustaining an ankle injury during their 1-0 defeat to Leganes.
Yamal, who was substituted for Gavi in the 75th minute at Camp Nou, has been diagnosed with a grade one ligament tear in his ankle. The club announced that the 17-year-old star is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks.
This is a significant setback for Barcelona as Yamal has been in sensational form this season under Hansi Flick, contributing six goals and 12 assists in 21 appearances across all competitions. In LaLiga, the teenage sensation ranks second for chances created for Barcelona (29) behind Raphinha (60) and leads the league in completed
dribbles (51).
“Tests conducted this morning confirmed a grade one injury to the anterior tibiofibular ligament,” read a club statement on Monday.
Yamal’s absence comes at a critical time for the LaLiga leaders, who face Atletico Madrid this Saturday at Camp Nou. Both teams are level on points at the top of the table, with Atletico holding a game in hand. A defeat for Barcelona would see them lose their position at the summit.
The 17-year-old will also miss Barcelona’s Copa del Rey tie against Barbastro but is expected to return for the Champions League clash against Benfica in mid-January.
Yamal’s latest injury follows a brief absence last month due to another ankle issue, raising concerns about the frequency of setbacks for the young star.