Hansi Flick provides bittersweet update on star Barcelona attacker | OneFootball

Hansi Flick, after a rosy start to life as FC Barcelona manager, has seen his team drop points in consecutive games in La Liga. With the club now turning their attention to the Champions League, one wonders if they can arrest this mini slide.

Barcelona are set to take on Brest at home in the Champions League in what is an important game. They will have to do so without 17-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal however, without whom the Catalan club seems incapable of winning this season.

Lamine has missed Barcelona’s previous couple of games against Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, which ended in a loss and a draw. The teenager is not fit and will not be available to face the French side as well.

Speaking about the talented attacker, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Hansi Flick offered a bittersweet update on his fitness. The German coach said:

“Lamine Yamal feels much better, today he did very good. He will miss the game against Brest as we will be careful but we hope to have Lamine back on Saturday… maybe on the bench. In any case, we’ve no rush.”

Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images

It is very evident that Barcelona are trying to be as careful as they can with Lamine Yamal. The last thing that Flick wants is to rush him back and increase the chances of a relapse and it is rightful that they are being this wary.

When Lamine isn’t available, Barcelona look like half the team they usually are. While the sample size is too small to label this as ‘Yamal-dependence,’ it may not be long before that tag starts sticking to the Catalan club if they fail to find a way to win without him.

Against Brest, one would assume Raphinha will continue on the right and Dani Olmo on the left. The Brazilian will be key to Hansi Flick’s men performing well, and it will be interesting to see how he fares.

It will be great to see Lamine back this weekend, but as Hansi says, there’s no rush. Let’s wait and see how his recovery progresses between now and the end of the week.