Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Santi Canizares has criticized Barcelona’s handling of Lamine Yamal’s injury, suggesting that the club risks exacerbating the youngster’s condition. The 18-year-old has been dealing with groin problems for some weeks and was not at his best during Barcelona’s 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico.
Concerns over Yamal’s fitness are developing both within and outside of Barcelona. The youthful winger has been dealing with pubalgia, a recurring groin problem that is limiting his speed and agility. Medical experts say the discomfort can come and go, but it frequently worsens during hard matches, making recovery difficult without adequate rest. The 18-year-old missed four matches for the Spanish club after returning from an international break owing to the same illness, but has since played frequently.
Sports traumatologist Doctor Pedro Luis Ripoll recently discussed Yamal’s condition and revealed that the injury can reduce a player’s movement and shooting power by almost half, and rushing a player back only makes it worse. Barcelona’s medical staff are managing Yamal’s workload carefully, but with so many injuries across the squad, the Spaniard continues to play regularly, a decision that’s beginning to raise eyebrows among experts and former players.
Speaking on Radio Marca, Canizares openly questioned Barcelona’s medical management and believes the club isn’t handling Yamal’s recovery properly, which could put the Spaniard at greater risk.
“It’s not the best club for recovery. They have a lot of injuries, and some of them are relapses. This worries me more than giving Lamine a rest or two,” the former Real Madrid shortstop said.
However, Yamal’s situation wasn’t the only example Canizares highlighted. The 55-year-old also pointed to the recurring injuries of Gavi, Ansu Fati, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, adding that Barcelona’s medical staff “isn’t getting their players’ recovery right”.
Meanwhile, former Madrid forward Alberto Bueno warned that Yamal’s situation may worsen if his playing time is not handled well, saying: “I don’t see him at 100%. Barça needs his best version, but perhaps he should take a short break.”
Barcelona’s injury crisis is showing no signs of slowing down. Key players like Raphinha, Ter Stegen, Gavi, Christensen, Dani Olmo, and Joan Garcia remain sidelined. Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, is nearing his return from a muscle issue and could feature in the weekend’s clash against Elche. With so many stars missing from last season’s title-winning squad, it’s no surprise that Flick continues to rely on Yamal, who is clearly not 100%. The decision might make sense short term, but with pubalgia known to worsen under fatigue, the risk of aggravation is high and could sideline the Spain international for the long term.Â
The 2-1 defeat to Madrid has left Barca five points behind their arch-rivals, who lead La Liga with nine wins from 10 games. Yamal’s limited impact in the El Clasico alongside the team’s growing injury list, has put more pressure on Flick to manage his resources wisely. The German manager, who served a suspension after being sent off in last weekend’s game against Girona, will return to the touchline as Barcelona face Elche on Sunday. The Blaugrana will be hoping to bounce back and cut the gap at the top of the table. But as the fitness worries grow, the club may have to decide what’s more important – chasing Real Madrid or protecting one of their brightest young stars.
