Lamine Yamal has suffered a hamstring injury and will miss the rest of the season, but his club FC Barcelona said on Thursday that he is expected to be fit in time for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.“Tests have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has a hamstring injury in his left leg,” Barcelona said.Spain begin their Group H campaign against Cape Verde on June 15, followed by matches against Saudi Arabia on June 21 and Uruguay six days later.Yamal picked up the injury during Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Wednesday.“This injury is going to keep me off the pitch just when I wanted to be there the most, and that hurts even more than I can put into words,” Yamal wrote on social media.“This isn’t the end, it’s just a break. I’ll come back stronger, with even more determination than ever, and next season will be better.”The 18-year-old, who has scored six goals in 25 matches for Spain since his debut in 2023, won and scored a penalty in that game to seal the result.After converting the spot-kick past Ionut Radu, Yamal went down and asked for treatment, staying on the ground as teammates came to celebrate.He was later substituted, with Roony Bardghji coming on in his place.“He wouldn’t leave the pitch without reason,” said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick. “As a coach you have to manage it, you have to live with it. It’s a pity that Lamine is injured now.”Barcelona’s win took them nine points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table with six matches left, including a Clasico on May 10.Yamal is the club’s top scorer this season with 24 goals, despite missing games in September and October due to a groin issue.He was also part of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad and had recently spoken about his aim to play in the World Cup.
