Hansi Flick, FC Barcelona manager, has confirmed that Lamine Yamal won't be available for Sunday's match against Valencia. The teenage star doesn't have a serious injure, but has some pain in the pubic area, and may also miss Barcelona's first Champions League game against Newcastle next Thursday. In the press conference before the match, Flick was very critical with Spanish's national coach Luis de la Fuente, although he didn't mention him explicitly.
"(Lamine) won't be available for tomorrow. It's a shame because he played with the national team with pain, he had problems. He played 79 and 73 minutes in each game, and between games he didn't train", adding that it shows that the Spanish manager "does not worry about players".
"The Spanish national team has the best team in the world and the best players in every position; they're incredibly good. Maybe we should be more concerned about the players; this is a news that saddens me", he declared in a press conference.
He continued with his displease against Luis de la Fuente, saying they haven't talked much as his Spanish is not good and De La Fuente's English is not too good either. "Maybe that's the problem. Communication could be better. I've been on this side too, as a coach, and I know how things work, I know how difficult this job can be. But communication with the club must be good, and it's always been good in my case."
Barcelona-Valencia, to be played on Sunday September 14 at 21:00 CEST, 20:00 BST, will be Barça's first match "at home", although it will be played at the Johan Cruyff stadium, club's training grounds with less seats than the required by LaLiga, which will turn a blind eye. Only 8,000 people will attend.