Lamine Yamal to Miss Barcelona’s Champions League Debut

FC Barcelona will be without Lamine Yamal for their 2025/26 Champions League opener. The 18-year-old winger was left out of the squad for Thursday’s match against Newcastle United due to physical discomfort.

The club reported that Yamal is suffering from pubis discomfort, which worsened following his participation with the Spanish national team during the recent international break. The attacker had already missed the 6-0 thrashing of Valencia in LaLiga.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed frustration with the Spanish Football Federation, accusing them of playing the footballer in two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches despite knowing about his physical issues. The federation, however, stated they received no notification from Barça regarding the player’s injury.

In contrast to Yamal’s absence, Barcelona recovers Frenkie de Jong, who had been dealing with discomfort after playing for the Netherlands national team and also missed the Valencia match.

Hansi Flick: “Barcelona Has a Great Team to Cover for Lamine Yamal Against Newcastle”

FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick spoke on Wednesday ahead of the 2025/26 Champions League debut against Newcastle United. The German manager assured that, despite Lamine Yamal’s injury absence, the Blaugrana have quality alternatives in attack.

“I prefer to talk about the players available, and Lamine won’t be there tomorrow or likely on Sunday. We have a good team, including in that position. Marcus Rashford was brought in for situations like this, and I hope he can show the same level in England as he did last Sunday against Valencia,” Flick said, referencing the 6-0 LaLiga win.

The coach highlighted the team’s strong form as a reference for the clash at St. James’ Park:

“I’m happy with how we’ve played. We defended as a unit, and everyone wanted the ball. That confidence and dynamism will be key tomorrow. We’ll need to exploit the spaces they leave us,” he noted.

Flick also acknowledged the special atmosphere expected in England: “I’ve been told that Newcastle’s stadium has one of the best atmospheres in England. We’re facing a tough opponent with a lot of intensity, dynamism, and fight for every ball.”

The manager gave no hints about his starting lineup, leaving open whether the striker will be Robert Lewandowski or Ferran Torres, nor did he reveal the center-back pairing. “I need this afternoon’s training and eight hours of sleep to decide,” he joked.

Additionally, Flick emphasized that last season’s experience should serve as a lesson for this young team:

“We’ve already shown we have mental strength. Last year’s comebacks remind us of that,” he stated.

Finally, he praised Raphinha, calling him “one of the key players for his intensity and hunger for goals,” and Marcus Rashford, noting that he’s had “a very good first few weeks” but still has “more potential to unlock.”

Barcelona, who reached the semifinals in the previous Champions League, will aim to kick off their European campaign with a victory against Newcastle.