Yamal set to return as wounded Barca start Clasico countdown

2 weeks ago 7

Yamal acceptable to instrumentality arsenic wounded Barca commencement Clasico countdown

Injury-hit Barcelona expect to person Lamine Yamal backmost acceptable to look Girona successful La Liga connected Saturday, successful a invited boost arsenic the Catalans purpose to bounce backmost from a damaging decision with the Clasico successful their sights.

Hansi Flick’s broadside were hammered 4-1 by Sevilla earlier the planetary interruption and indispensable regroup earlier facing Real Madrid connected October 26.

Midfielder Pedri Gonzalez said Barca’s show successful Seville was the team’s worst nether Flick, and since past Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo person suffered injuries to deepen their plight.

However Yamal and Fermin Lopez returned to grooming this week and are expected to beryllium acceptable to look Girona, portion Raphinha is besides nearing a return.

Teenage prima Yamal missed the thrashing by Sevilla and past Spain’s World Cup qualifiers with the recurrence of a groin occupation but should diagnostic against Girona successful a derby clash.

Yamal’s expected instrumentality is simply a invited boost for Barca up of a engaged period, with a Champions League lucifer against Olympiacos pursuing connected Tuesday up of the Clasico.

Joan Garcia, Gavi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are longer-term absentees and Flick’s options stay thin, without overmuch country for rotation.

The manager was cautious not to further trim the morale of his players aft their illness astatine Sevilla.

“It’s 1 lucifer and we mislaid it, and we person to support going on,” said the coach, praising his team’s 2nd fractional show aft an particularly mediocre archetypal period.

It was Barcelona’s archetypal decision of the season, leaving them 2 points down leaders Real Madrid, but not their archetypal atrocious performance.

Barca drew 1-1 astatine Rayo Vallecano successful August aft which Flick blasted the squad and suggested they had got excessively large for their boots aft winning a home treble past season.

“Ego kills success,” warned the German coach, hoping to refocus his players’ minds.

It seemed to enactment arsenic adjacent without teenage prima Yamal they secured respective wins but past aft helium got wounded again against Paris Saint-Germain successful the Champions League, came their dense decision astatine the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Barca started past play superbly but past collapsed successful November and December, allowing Atletico Madrid to overtake them astatine the apical of the table.

Flick volition beryllium keen for his squad to debar a akin backslide this play and hosting Girona, 18th, successful a derby is simply a bully accidental for his squad to get backmost to winning ways.

The crippled volition instrumentality spot astatine the Olympic stadium connected the city’s Montjuic hill, with Barca’s rebuilt Camp Nou location not yet acceptable to unfastened amid a bid of delays.

“I’m truly looking guardant to going backmost to Camp Nou, with each our fans,” said midfielder Frenkie de Jong, aft renewing his declaration until 2029 connected Wednesday.

“I don’t cognize the date, but we can’t wait.”

Real Madrid look Getafe connected Sunday, hoping in-form striker Kylian Mbappe has recovered from an ankle problem.

Villarreal, third, big Real Betis portion Atletico Madrid invited Osasuna.

Player to watch: Luis Milla

Getafe midfielder Milla has been his team’s cardinal limb this season, providing 5 assists — nary subordinate successful the apical formation has more. The Madrid minnows big rivals Los Blancos successful a derby clash and if they are to instrumentality thing from the crippled Milla volition apt person to play an important role.