Lamine Yamal Dropped from Spain Squad as Spanish FA Issue Furious Statement
Lamine Yamal has been released from the Spain squad for upcoming fixtures, with a full statement issued by the FA.
Yamal featured for Barcelona on Sunday, finding the net in a 4-2 victory over Celta Vigo to move Hansi Flick's men within three points of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
The 18-year-old wonderkid was expected to represent Spain in World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey ahead of the return of domestic football.
However, the RFEF have confirmed that Yamal has been taken out of the squad and will not be part of the training squad.
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Throughout this season, Yamal has been suffering from discomfort in the groin area and often played through the pain.
However, in a strong worded statement from the RFEF, the governing body confirmed that he will instead be allowed to rest and recover from the persistent issue, which was recently treated with "invasive radiofrequency procedure".
Manager Luis de la Fuente had previously said that Yamal was in "perfect condition".
The statement explained: "The RFEF Medical Services wish to express their surprise and displeasure upon learning at 1:47 PM on Monday, November 10, the day the official training camp with the national team began, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure to treat his pubic discomfort that same morning.
"This procedure was performed without prior notification to the national team's medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 10:40 PM last night, which indicated a medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days.
"Given this situation, and prioritizing the player's health, safety, and well-being at all times, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current squad.
"We trust that he will recover favorably and wish him a speedy and full recovery."
Yamal was fast-tracked into the Spain squad as a 16-year-old in 2023, becoming La Roja's youngest ever player and goalscorer.
He played a starring role as they won Euro 2024, winning the Young Player of the Tournament.
Yamal given medical warning for groin injury
Second in the Ballon d'Or rankings after helping Barcelona win a domestic treble, Yamal has missed some games this term with an ongoing chronic groin problem called pubalgia.
According to Sport, the condition is complicated and may never fully heal - with a former club doctor explaining to the outlet that "the priority is rest and physiotherapy".
Another medical professional, Sports traumatologist Dr Pedro Luis Ripoll, said the injury is "frankly difficult to treat".
He told El Larguero that the issue is "characterised by pain that reduces the player's ability to move and shoot by almost 50%" and "keeps him from his best level and significantly diminishes his performance.”
Discussing Yamal's fitness, Flicked noted that the winger "has some days where he maybe feels some pain" but is nonetheless "on a good evolution".
Topics: Lamine Yamal, Spain, Barcelona, FC Barcelona
Josh Lawless