Barcelona have reportedly been handed an injury boost ahead of the return of club football this weekend, with Lamine Yamal said to be back in full training.
The teenage sensation picked up an ankle injury in the 5-2 win over Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on November 6, despite completing 90 minutes in the Serbian capital.
Ultimately, the injury saw Yamal miss the trip to San Sebastian a few days later, where Barcelona lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad, suffering just a second league defeat of the season.
Yamal also pulled out of the Spain squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland last week, which both ended in victory and saw La Roja finish top of their section.
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Yamal to return for trip to Galicia?
Despite the setback, it appears as though the issue is not a serious one, and Yamal could make his return as soon as this weekend, when Barcelona travel to Celta Vigo in La Liga.
Spanish outlet AS claim that Yamal will be fit enough to be in the matchday squad for their clash at the Estadio de Balaidos on Saturday.
However, a place on the bench is most likely, with manager Hansi Flick reportedly not prepared to risk the player for any longer than 20-25 minutes, with the Champions League clash against unbeaten Brest on the horizon.
The attacker has returned to full training during the international break, and will undergo further fitness tests before his teammates make the trip across Northern Spain at the weekend.
Barca and Flick will be well aware of the risks of rushing players back too soon though, and their lengthy injury list at present cannot be added to any further.
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Yamal's impact at Barca this season
The temptation to get Yamal back in the side will be huge though, given the influence he has had on the team so far this season.
Barca broke a club record in scoring 55 goals in their opening 16 matches across all competitions this season, and Yamal has played a part in 14 of those.
The only two La Liga matches Barca have failed to win this season both came when Yamal was not in the starting XI - the recent defeat at Real Sociedad, and the 4-2 loss at Osasuna, when he started on the bench.
In his absence at Reale Arena against La Real last time out, Flick's side were toothless, failing to register a single shot on target, and amassing an xG of just 0.64.
Andrew Delaney
