Doctors have issued warnings to FC Barcelona and head coach Hansi Flick after Lamine Yamal was diagnosed with an 'incurable' condition.
At just 18, Yamal has already established as one of the most best players in the world, finishing second in the most recent Ballon d'Or rankings.
He played a key role for both Barcelona and Spain last season, helping his club to a domestic treble, while Spain won the European Championships.
However, the youngster has struggled with a groin problem this season, missing four of Barcelona's first 11 league matches.
Advert
Although the club has not released any official information on the injury, it has been reported that Yamal is suffering from pubalgia, which is a chronic groin injury that causes persistent pain in the pubic region.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, pubalgia is a very complicated condition.
While there is uncertainty regarding his recovery, it is possible that Yamal may never return to full fitness.
Barcelona have been warned that they will need to manage his minutes to prevent further injury problems.
Last month, a former club doctor told Sport: ”The priority is rest and physiotherapy. If you stop in time, in three or four weeks you can be there, it doesn’t heal in a week.
"It must be completely cured."
The number of matches professional footballers play in the modern calendar has been the subject of debate in recent years.
Several prominent players, including Rodri and Raphael Varane, have spoken out against the schedule and Yamal is already feeling the consequences.
According to FIFPRO's workload report published on October 7, Yamal has already played 130 professional matches, totalling 9,772 minutes at the age of 18.
That is nearly double the amount that Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas had played by the same stage of their careers.
By comparison, Lionel Messi did not make his Barcelona debut until he was 17, and had only made 34 senior appearances by his 18th birthday.
The Argentine soon established himself as a first-team regular, going on to win 10 leagues and four Champions League titles with Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo had played more than Messi by that age, but he had still only made 36 first-team appearances.
The Portuguese forward also went on to become one of the most successful players ever, winning 34 senior trophies.
Yamal may be an incredibly talented 18-year-old, but Barcelona boss Flick will need to be careful with his minutes.
If he continues to play too much football, there is a real risk of the young Spaniard developing chronic injury problems at an early stage of his career.
Topics: Lamine Yamal, FC Barcelona, Injury, Football, La Liga
James Taylor