Don't let Yamal get caught up in Fati's tragedy

Lamine Yamal has played almost non-stop since Euro 2024.

In both of the above matches, Lamine Yamal played well and helped Barcelona win big. However, the tight schedule and Yamal's importance to Barcelona's style of play put the 17-year-old talent at risk of being overloaded, leaving the risk of injury.

Hansi Flick's confession

Coach Hansi Flick understands the danger to Yamal better than anyone. He was the one who used this player in both matches against Osasuna and Girona. Even when Raphinha and Lewandowski were given a rest, Yamal still had to work hard in Barcelona's "terrible" series of matches over the past 3 days.

Speaking to the media, Flick said about Yamal's risk: "I think Lamine is very intelligent and knows how to control the game. I spoke to him to ask about the situation, and he was very optimistic. I always communicate with the players. If they feel something is unusual, they can come and tell me."

"Every player has to take responsibility for their body. If there is something wrong, they need to speak up. That's what we want. From my experience as a player, if you notice a problem and don't deal with it, there will be consequences. I want players to take care of themselves, especially when playing at the level of Barcelona," Flick said cautiously.

The La Liga organizers allowed Barcelona to play a make-up match against Osasuna in the early morning of March 28, then play a match against Girona on the evening of March 30, which angered many fans of the Catalan team. Previously, coach Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid had announced that they would forfeit the match if La Liga forced the team to play two matches in less than 72 hours.

Unlike Real, Barcelona had no choice but to play. Yamal and Pedri were the starters in both games against Osasuna and Girona, due to their importance to Barcelona.

Don’t forget that on March 23, Yamal also played 120 minutes as Spain beat the Netherlands on penalties in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. In just one week, Yamal has played over 300 minutes in three games, a worrying number for a professional player.

Yamal has played 3,181 minutes this season, making him the fifth most used player in the team, behind only Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Pedri and Pau Cubarsí. This heavy frequency of appearances has led to concerns that he could repeat the tragedy of Ansu Fati - another Barcelona talent who was plagued by injuries due to over-playing.

Yamal is too important for Barca.

Fati, who was once highly expected, has suffered a serious decline in form after a series of physical problems, interrupting his career. Catalan media revealed that Fati no longer has a chance to stay at Barcelona in the 2025/26 season, having suffered a disastrous decline in recent times.

Difficult problem

Having played the entire match against Girona, Yamal has been a regular starter for Barcelona for the past four months. The last time Yamal was on the bench was when Barcelona faced Las Palmas on November 30.

At that time, Yamal was recovering from an ankle injury. However, when Barcelona were deadlocked against Las Palmas, Yamal, despite being in pain, had to come on in the second half to support his team. At the age of 17, Yamal has become an indispensable pillar of Barcelona, playing 39 matches in all competitions this season. With 13 goals and 17 assists, he is very important to the Catalan team.

Barcelona are entering an extremely important stage of the season, with a tight schedule ahead. Obviously, coach Flick, despite being cautious, still cannot let Yamal rest, because that will affect Barcelona's success or failure this season.

After the match against Girona, Barcelona will travel to the Metropolitano Stadium in the early morning of April 3 to face Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. In the early morning of April 6, Barcelona will face Real Betis in La Liga. The following week, the club will also enter the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund.

The pressure of consecutive matches has put Flick in a position where he has to start Yamal. However, the risk of physical overload could affect Yamal's long-term future. The lesson from Fati, and before that from Gavi and Pedri, is a clear warning.

In England, the cases of Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney also left regrets. Both of the former "prodigies" of English football played many matches since their teens, leading to their early retirement compared to many of their teammates of the same age.

Even Saka, a player with a similar playing style to Yamal, has struggled with injuries this season after being used continuously by coach Mikel Arteta for the past three years.