Lamine Yamal Alert! The winger finished the Bulgaria-Spain match with lower back discomfort

Spain debuted in the 2026 World Cup qualifier with a comfortable victory against Bulgaria (0-3). The match played in Sofia was decided before halftime thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella, and Mikel Merino, the latter assisted by Lamine Yamal. The FC Barcelona winger was, once again, a key figure, but raised alarms after the end of the match.

According to 'Mundo Deportivo', the '19' of the National Team left with back discomfort after finishing the match. Debutant Jesús Rodríguez replaced the player from Mataró in the 79th minute, but this Friday the Barça 'crack' had to receive special attention during the recovery work day.

Lamine Yamal, coddled and doubtful for the Turkey-Spain match

The substitution for Jesús Rodríguez, in fact, had to do with Luis de la Fuente's desire to take care of Lamine. On Friday, La Roja trained at the Vasil Levski stadium in Sofia before traveling to the city of Konya to face Turkey on Sunday (20:45 CEST).

For this match, Yamal could be doubtful until the last minute if he fails to train with the group when the National Team lands on Turkish soil. Barça, meanwhile, remains attentive to the physical condition of the winger, already with two players in the infirmary ahead of the match against Valencia, on Sunday the 14th at 21:00 (venue to be confirmed).

Gavi and Alejandro Balde are expected to miss the match against Valencia due to problems in the right knee and left thigh, respectively. In principle, the midfielder hopes to be cleared after the break, while the full-back will be out for at least two weeks.

In that sense, Hansi Flick hopes not to add new casualties during a break where there are 15 culés in action, 7 of them with Spain. Against Bulgaria, Lamine and Pedri were starters, while Pau Cubarsí and Dani Olmo entered in the second half. Fermín López and Ferran Torres remained on the bench.

Barça hopes to have Lamine Yamal at his best for the match against Valencia

For Barcelona, an eventual absence of Yamal against Valencia would be key, as the '10' has had a spectacular start to the League. The player from Rocafonda has 2 goals and 2 assists in 3 matches, being the team's leader in offensive production.

During the 24/25 season, the winger missed five matches with Barça (three in the League, one in the Champions League, and one in the Cup) due to problems in his right ankle. His absence in the League was decisive, as the team barely added 1 point out of a possible nine, with defeats against Real Sociedad and Atlético (both by 0-1) and a draw against Celta (2-2).

For the moment, Flick has several interesting alternatives on the right in attack, including Raphinha, Marcus Rashford, and Roony Bardghji. The Swede missed the first three matchdays, but has already been registered with a reserve team card.

For Sunday, it is expected that Luis de la Fuente will rule out putting him in the XI if the lower back discomfort persists in the coming hours. However, the decision will not be easy, far from it, for the Spanish coach, as Lamine was his most active forward in attack in the visit to Bulgaria.

"Next Sunday we will field the best possible team to compete against Turkey, but health always comes before any other consideration. For now, everyone is fine", said the coach from Haro in the post-match press conference. 

Lamine Yamal's records in the Bulgaria-Spain match

Bulgaria 0-3 Spain: Lamine Yamal debuts with an assist in the World Cup qualifier.

1. Minutes played: 79
2. Goals: 0
3. Assists: 1
4. Chances created: 2
5. Dribbles: 7 of 12 (58%)
6. Shots: 5 (3 on target)
7. Duels won: 8 of 16 (50%)
8. Passes completed: 32 of 41 (78%)
9. Balls recovered: 5
10. Balls lost: 2