Lamine Yamal ruled out of Barcelona's Champions League opener at Newcastle
18-year-old forward omitted from travelling squad with groin issue; Hansi Flick criticises Spain over player workload
Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday that 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal will not travel for the club's Champions League opener against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Thursday night due to a groin problem.
Yamal was absent from the squad for Saturday's 6-0 LaLiga victory over Valencia after missing training during the international break. Manager Hansi Flick said the injury persisted following Yamal's appearances for Spain and criticised the national team's handling of the teenager's minutes.
"Lamine goes to the national team with pain, didn't train and had painkillers to play," Flick said. "They were three goals up in every match and he played 79 and 73 minutes. Between the matches, he didn't train. This is not taking care of players. Spain have the best team in the world and in every position they are unbelievably good. So I am really sad about this." Flick confirmed Yamal would be absent for the trip to Newcastle.
Alejandro Balde and midfieldman Gavi are also on the treatment table and will not be available for the fixture, leaving Barcelona to adjust their selection for the opening Champions League group match. The club did not provide a recovery timeline for the injured players.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will likewise be without certain options; the club said Yoan Wissa and Jacob Ramsey will not be in contention for the game. Despite those absences, Newcastle enter their return to Europe's premier club competition with a deeper squad than in previous campaigns.
The meeting on Thursday will be the fifth competitive match between the two clubs and their first since 2003. Newcastle's most famous result against Barcelona came in 1997, when Faustino Asprilla scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory. Newcastle's last Champions League campaign ended with the club failing to progress from the group stage.
The absence of Yamal removes one of Barcelona's most influential attacking options for the trip to Tyneside, where an expectant crowd is set to welcome the club's return to the Champions League. Barcelona's style under Flick has emphasised attacking rotation, and the manager will need to reshuffle his forward options ahead of Thursday's kickoff.
Both teams face the challenge of balancing league and European schedules early in the season. Barcelona's medical updates on Yamal, Balde and Gavi will shape their squad choices as the group stage continues, while Newcastle will assess how to deploy an evolving squad across competitions.