Barcelona handed blow ahead of Atletico Madrid clash as key first team player misses group training | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are preparing to face Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals. The clash is set to take place over two legs with the first one set to be held at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium and the deciding tie to be held at the Metropolitano Stadium.

The game against the Madrid side is extremely important for Hansi Flick for a number of reasons, not least for the fact that the Copa del Rey provides Barcelona with an opportunity to win a trophy this season.

Although the Catalan club is top of the La Liga standings and looks good in the Champions League as well, winning the Copa del Rey would be a massive boost, especially ahead of rivals like Atletico and Real Madrid.

However, in the build-up to the preparations for this big game, it has emerged, as per Mundo Deportivo that Lamine Yamal did not train with the group today after the heavy stomp that he received to his foot against Las Palmas.

After the weekend’s game against the Canary Island’s team, Lamine put up an image on social media showcasing a blood-soaked foot after a stomp by an opposition player which incidentally was not given as a foul in his favor.

It now comes as a cruel blow that Lamine is unable to train in preparation for Atletico Madrid and it will be a huge blow for Hansi Flick & co. should he fail to be fit and available for the game against Diego Simeone’s side.

Lamine is extremely important to how the team plays and he showcased his quality with his excellent assist for Dani Olmo’s goal against Las Palmas that turned the game in the Catalan club’s favor. Missing him for the semifinal first leg would be a big blow for Barcelona.

Should it so happen that Lamine is unable to recover in time, the most likely option for Hansi Flick is to switch Raphinha over to the right and use Ferran Torres from the left.

However, with a day yet to go for the game, this might just be a case of Barcelona being precautious with Lamine Yamal’s foot. It remains to be seen if he is seen in training tomorrow and let’s wait and see how it plays out.