Spain have received a major boost ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal expected to be available for the team's opening match despite recent injury concerns.
The world's biggest football tournament is set to begin on June 11. One of the biggest concerns in the Spanish camp had been Yamal's fitness after the winger suffered a hamstring injury while playing for FC Barcelona in late April.
The injury ruled him out of Spain’s warm-up matches and cast doubt over his participation in the opening stages of the tournament.
However, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has indicated that the youngster is progressing well in his recovery.
“Yamal is improving well. We hope to have him available for the first match. However, he may initially be given limited playing time,” the coach said in a recent interview.
Spain are also facing fitness concerns over attacking duo Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz, who are not yet fully certain to feature in the opening game. Neither player was involved in the team's recent friendly against Peru.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are taking a cautious approach regarding Yamal’s return. The club has advised that he be eased back into action gradually to avoid the risk of a more serious injury.
A Barcelona physiotherapist, who is currently working with the Spain squad, is also closely monitoring the player's rehabilitation process.
According to Spanish media reports, Yamal could play around 15 minutes against Cape Verde in Spain’s opening World Cup match. He may then feature for 45 to 60 minutes against Saudi Arabia in the second game.
If his recovery continues as expected, the winger could be ready to play the full match against Uruguay in Spain’s final group-stage fixture.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
