Following a 6–0 pummeling of Valencia, Barcelona are ready to begin their 2025–26 Champions League season, one they hope concludes with the team returning to the summit of European soccer.

Barcelona will travel to St. James’s Park to face Newcastle United on Thursday to kick-off their Champions League campaign, but they’ll make the trip without their superstar winger Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona’s No. 10 hasn’t trained with the club since he rejoined the club after starting two matches for Spain over the recent international action. The Catalans revealed last week that Yamal is nursing an injury to the pubic area and already missed-out on their recent match against Valencia.

Now, Barcelona have named their squad for Wednesday’s fixture without Yamal. Mundo Deportivo have suggested that the winger could be sidelined until Barcelona host Paris Saint-Germain on Oct.1.

Yamal is nursing a groin injury that can continue to linger or be worsened significantly if they hurry him back to the pitch. Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández sustained a similar injury during the 2023–24 season, playing with groin discomfort for a period of time until surgery was required.

Barcelona are trying to avoid any scenario where Yamal suffers the same fate so they’ll be cautious with their young talisman. The 18-year-old began feeling discomfort on his groin since Barcelona’s second game of the season against Levante, per Mundo Deportivo. He went on to play another three matches before the pain ultimately forced him to stop.

Hansi Flick was critical of the way Spain’s national team handled Yamal’s fitness, a sentiment Barcelona sporting director Deco echoed. La Roja vehemently rejected Flick’s comments, but the fact remains that Yamal is likely to be sidelined for weeks rather than days.

In Yamal’s absence, Raphinha is expected to feature on the right wing with Marcus Rashford entering the lineup on the left. Although this is a much better alternative than what Barça could deploy a season ago when Yamal was out, the teenager’s absence will be undeniably felt.

If Barcelona opt to save Yamal until the clash against PSG, then he’d also miss the upcoming La Liga matches against Getafe, Real Oviedo and Real Sociedad.

Frenkie de Jong was fit enough to feature after sitting out the weekend’s stroll against Valencia.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Confirm Lamine Yamal Status for Champions League Opener.

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