De la Fuente defends Yamal treatment plan as Spain await winger's return

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has defended the decision to let Lamine Yamal remain with Barcelona for treatment rather than travel with the national squad, saying the winger has not received preferential treatment. According to BBC Sport, the 19-year-old stayed behind because of discomfort and inflammation in his right knee after Barcelona's La Liga victory over Atletico Madrid.

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Yamal did not accompany Spain for Thursday's Nations League game against the Czech Republic. De la Fuente said on Wednesday that he had decided it was better for the player to avoid the journey and continue working with his club's medical staff. He insisted the same arrangement would have been available to any other member of the squad in those circumstances.

The coach was responding to reports in the Spanish media suggesting Yamal had been treated differently because he was not required to report immediately for international duty. De la Fuente rejected that account and criticised what he regarded as inaccurate and fabricated reporting. His explanation placed the decision with the national-team coach and linked it directly to the player's ongoing treatment in Barcelona.

Yamal is not the only player expected to arrive later than his team-mates. BBC Sport reported that Real Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal was also due to join the group late while recovering from flu and following the birth of his second child. The two players' delayed arrivals therefore involve different personal and medical circumstances during the same international window.

The attention on Yamal comes amid scrutiny of his workload for club and country. BBC Sport reported that he has made 16 appearances for Barcelona this season, scoring 13 goals and supplying 12 assists. He played 45 club matches last season and has already appeared 14 times for Spain in 2026, maintaining a prominent role for both teams while still a teenager.

De la Fuente said Yamal's recovery was progressing well and that Spain believed he would join the squad on Friday, ahead of Sunday's match against England. That remains an expected arrival rather than a confirmed return to action; the coach's update did not establish that Yamal would play against England.