Barcelona president Joan Laporta teased Lamine Yamal’s imminent return following a three-match absence across all competitions with a groin injury.
Yamal hasn’t featured at all so far in September, sitting out the wins over Valencia, Newcastle United and Getafe, last playing in August when Hansi Flick’s team frustratingly tied with Rayo Vallecano.
That was the game after which the manager hit out at “egos” that “kill success,” demanding a stronger team ethic from his players. Yamal played down the importance of those comments.
The 18-year-old was in Paris on Monday night, with his family entourage in tow, for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony. Reports in Spain alleged that his father had pre-emptively booked a venue for a celebration party, although in the end the trophy went to Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé.
Laporta was also present in Paris, where Barcelona had numerous players nominated in multiple categories—Aitana Bonmatí made it three straight Ballon d’Or Féminin wins.
The president took time to speak with reporters across several subjects, one of which was Yamal, suggesting that fans could see him back on the pitch on Sunday, Sept. 28.
“He said he might be fine for Real Sociedad,” Laporta revealed, which would seemingly rule the player out of involvement any earlier against Real Oviedo on Thursday night.
In Yamal’s ongoing absence in the short-term, it remains to be seen whether Flick will recall Marcus Rashford—having dropped the Englishman over lateness prior to facing Getafe—or continue with Ferran Torres. The latter scored twice in the first half, with Rashford appearing from the bench later.
Yamal ‘Motivated’ to Win 2026 Ballon d’Or
Ahead of this week’s match, and in the wake of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Flick expressed confidence that Yamal has taken his runner-up ranking in the final standings the right way.
“It’s a motivation for him in the coming years, and Lamine takes it positively. He will have chances to win the Ballon d’Or, for sure,” Flick explained.
Yamal missed his opportunity to become the youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner this time, but that record is still there to be broken. Ronaldo Nazário holds the current high watermark, at 21 years, three months and five days, with the 2026, 2027 and 2028 ceremonies coming before Yamal reaches that age.
The teenager did still make history, though, becoming the first player to win the Kopa Trophy twice, collecting the prize handed to the best global talent under the age of 21, after previously winning in 2024.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lamine Yamal Injury: Barcelona President Teases Ballon d’Or Runner-Up’s Return.