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Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has expressed faith in teenage star Lamine Yamal rediscovering his form after a FIFA World Cup win and a battle with injuries, saying that it was great for him to have played full 90 minutes against Athletic Bilbao and that the club management is here to support him.
Barcelona will be playing their next La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano at home, having started their season with two wins. However, the 19-year-old Yamal has faced a difficult start to the season, which came after a hamstring injury sustained in April. He also scored just one goal in eight appearances in the World Cup. After a quiet outing in the La Liga opener against Elche, he played full 90 minutes against Athletic Bilbao, and Flick has backed the youngster, saying that his trajectory is going upwards. Speaking ahead of Monday's clash, Flick said, as quoted by Goal.com, "I know everyone is worried about how Lamine is, how he is doing. And of course, look at his situation; he played a World Cup after a huge injury. Now he is coming back after three weeks of holiday... and also the first game maybe was not his best game. But I said this: I was very happy that he started the game, and he worked for the team." As a part of Yamal's rehab progress, he has been reintegrated into Spain and Barca playing XI gradually. Flick also stressed the importance of the winger playing full matches and was encouraged by the 19-year-old's output against Athletic, playing full 90 minutes. "He played 90 minutes against Bilbao. And for him at the moment, it is also good to have 90 minutes on the pitch," Flick continued. "We saw him in some situations really at this top level. And now, you could not see this in the training session today, but I saw it, and it was excellent. Everyone loves Lamine, and he is in a good way. And we have to support him, and we do that," he added. Beyond the physical condition, Flick also spoke on the mental state of the star player. After the opener against Elche, Yamal was frustrated, and it led to speculations about his confidence. However, the mood within the camp has shifted, with Flick saying that Yamal looks much happier while training. "Of course, it is always good when the players are smiling, but it is not every day the same day. I am also not smiling every day -- it is like that," Flick added. (ANI)
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