Lamine Yamal, ready for the derby after missing Thursday's training

Hansi Flick confirmed the presence of Lamine Yamal for the Catalan derby of matchday 18 of LaLiga, against Espanyol (Saturday, 9:00 PM CEST). The FC Barcelona star did not train on Thursday despite going to the Ciutat Esportiva due to some muscular discomfort. However, he worked normally with the squad in Friday's session and will be part of the lineup in Cornellà.

The '10' recently scored against Villarreal (0-2) last matchday and has accumulated 9 goals and 10 assists in 20 games (1,686 minutes) so far this season. Despite missing five matches due to a groin injury he is still recovering from, the winger ended the year in great form, contributing to 8 goals in as many League games.

Lamine Yamal will play his third derby against Espanyol

Last season, Lamine provided an assist in the first-leg derby at Montjuïc (3-1) and scored a spectacular goal in the win at Cornellà (0-2) that ultimately sealed the league title for Flick's teamIn 23/24, Yamal's first full season with Barça, Espanyol was in the Second Division after their relegation in 22/23, where Barça had also celebrated winning the league on the RCDE Stadium pitch (2-4).

This season, the Rocafonda player missed the matches against Valencia, Getafe, Oviedo, and Sevilla due to discomfort from his osteitis pubis. Even so, the '10' is the LaLiga assist leader (7) and the third top scorer for Barça in the tournament, behind Ferran Torres (11) and Robert Lewandowski (8).

Yamal has scored or assisted in 8 of his last 11 league games and was the MVP of November after scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists in 4 games that month. In the Copa del Rey, he also provided an assist against Guadalajara, while in the Champions League he has accumulated a couple of goals and the same number of assists in 5 appearances.

Flick also recovers Pedri and Olmo for the Catalan derby

The other good news for Hansi Flick ahead of the derby are the returns of Dani Olmo and Pedri González. The Terrassa native will be medically cleared after a month out with a dislocation in his left shoulder. The Canary Islander, for his part, will start after missing the visit to Villarreal due to muscle discomfort.

In that regard, Barça's only absentees against Espanyol will be **Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo**. The first could reappear in mid-February, after undergoing surgery for a torn right meniscus in September. The Dane, on the other hand, is out indefinitely after a partial cruciate ligament tear.

In Araujo's case, he is expected to be available for the Spanish Super Cup. Although he trained normally all week, Flick made it clear that the 'charrúa' "is not ready yet" and it will be the player himself who determines when he is fit to play againThe '4' has been sidelined for the last four weeks for personal reasons, while he overcame a slump after his expulsion against Chelsea on November 25, which was his last official match.