Barcelona injury news: Lamine Yamal update provided amid concerns surrounding 'chronic' issue

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has insisted that Lamine Yamal is "doing well" amid concerns surrounding a chronic groin injury for the Spain international.

The 18-year-old has struggled with pain in his groin throughout the 2025-26 campaign, which has forced him to miss five matches this term, and it is understood that he was again in discomfort following last weekend's La Liga contest with Real Madrid.

Pubalgia is believed to be the cause, with the issue chronic, and there are concerns surrounding the Spaniard, who has played a lot of football in the early stages of his career.

Flick has admitted that Yamal "experiences some discomfort on certain days", but the Barcelona head coach is confident that the teenager is heading in the the right direction.

“There’s talk about Lamine every week. He’s doing well. I just spoke with him. He experiences some discomfort on certain days. He’s improving and pushing himself. He’s progressing well," Flick told reporters.

Flick: 'Yamal is improving and pushing himself'

“We talk to him and we do it normally. We’re both very honest. I’ll always protect him and support him. He’s a fantastic guy, very young. We’ll continue down this path.”

Yamal only turned 18 in July, but he has already made 114 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 28 goals and registering 39 assists in the process.

This season, the Spaniard has three goals and five assists in eight outings for the La Liga champions, and he is set to be in the XI when Barcelona tackle Elche on Sunday.

Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways this weekend, having suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid, which left them five points behind the division leaders in the La Liga table.

Barcelona vs. Elche: Catalan giants in line for triple injury boost

The Catalan team will welcome Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo back into their squad against Elche, while Joan Garcia may also return from a knee injury.

“With Joan Garcia, we’re taking it day by day. He looks good, but we shouldn’t put pressure on him. We’ll see how much Lewandowski and Olmo can play tomorrow,” said Flick.

“When not everyone is available to play, it’s not easy to manage. It makes it harder for them to reach their best level. Now, with Olmo and Lewandowski, the other players will raise their level.”

However, Gavi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Pedri are still unavailable for Barcelona, who will head to Club Brugge in the Champions League next week.