Doubt over Athletic? Lamine Yamal does not train ahead of Super Cup 'semi'

FC Barcelona held their final training session before the Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Athletic Club (20:00 CEST) with an unexpected absence. Just as happened in Friday's session, prior to the match against Espanyol, Lamine Yamal trained separately from the group, not even stepping onto the pitch.

The 18-year-old winger trained alone in the gym. In principle, the work plan could be linked to the treatment that the player from Mataró has undergone in the last two months to deal with pubalgia, which caused him to miss five games with Barça in the first half of the season.

The reason for Lamine Yamal's absence from Tuesday's training

However, 'Mundo Deportivo' assures that Lamine's absence from Tuesday's training was due to **a stomach upset**. On Friday, the '10' also did not train on the Tito Vilanova field at the Ciutat Esportiva due to general malaise, but had no problems playing a day later against EspanyolIn that sense, **there would also be no risk of the Barça forward being left out of the squad** for the match against Athletic. His starting position, however, raises some doubts, more out of caution than any specific injury or illness

Yamal played the full 90 minutes in 8 of the last 10 league matchdays and, in the Champions League, was substituted in the 89th minute against Eintracht. In total, the academy player has accumulated 1,776 minutes of action in 21 of the 26 matches played by Barça in 25/26, with his only substitution so far in the league (he played half an hour against Real Sociedad).

Will Lamine Enter Barça's XI Against Athletic?

Barring any major setback in the hours leading up to the match, Lamine Yamal should have no problem starting on the right wing for Barça again on Wednesday against Athletic. The Rocafonda native has accumulated 9 goals and 10 assists so far this season and, against the Basques, he already provided a couple of assists in the rout at Camp Nou in November (4-0)

Although he did not participate in either of the two Barça goals against Espanyol, the '10' contributed 6 goals and 4 assists in his last 11 games with Barça. Unsurprisingly, he was chosen as LaLiga's MVP in November and is Flick's team's player with the most direct goal involvements (19) this season.

Last season, he also scored a couple of times against Athletic, one of them in the Super Cup semi-final (0-2). Unless there's a surprise, Lamine and Raphinha will once again form the Blaugrana attacking trident alongside Ferran Torres, while Fermín López would play as an attacking midfielder.