Barcelona are enjoying a stretch of calm following a crucial victory over Newcastle in their 2025–26 UEFA Champions League opener. However, the club remains focused on the recovery of Lamine Yamal, with a clear target date in mind for his return.
Lamine returned from the September international break with discomfort in his pubic area. That setback frustrated head coach Hansi Flick, who directed his anger toward Spain manager Luis De La Fuente and his staff, as the young winger was ruled out of last Sunday’s La Liga match against Valencia and also missed the midweek trip to England.
Twelve days after his last competitive appearance, Yamal is still not fully recovered. “The club had worked under the assumption that he could make it back in time for Sunday’s La Liga match against Getafe, but as of now, that’s not happening,” Sport reported on Friday.
“Lamine is undergoing daily training sessions at the Ciutat Esportiva to support his recovery, but both the medical staff and the player himself have decided that pushing it would not be wise,” the Spanish outlet added.
Under these circumstances, it’s all but confirmed that Yamal won’t feature on Sunday against Getafe. Optimistic projections suggest he may return in one of the next two La Liga fixtures. Barcelona will host Real Oviedo on Thursday, September 25, and three days later face Real Sociedad.
Champions League the top priority for Barcelona
While getting results in La Liga remains important for Barcelona—especially to stay close to Real Madrid in the standings—it’s clear that the UEFA Champions League is the club’s top priority. After a strong showing against Newcastle, a far tougher test awaits.
On Matchday 2 of the league phase, Barcelona will take on reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, October 1, in Catalunya. The goal is to have Lamine Yamal fully fit for that clash. “The club’s sporting directors are emphasizing the need for the Rocafonda native to be 100% ready for the Champions League matchup against PSG,” Sport revealed.
PSG facing issues of their own
The international break didn’t just deliver bad news for Barcelona. During his time with the French national team, Ousmane Dembele suffered a right hamstring injury that forced him to return early to Paris. The injury is serious enough to rule him out of several key fixtures.
According to reports, the expected recovery timeline is around six weeks, meaning Dembele will miss a number of important games. That includes this Sunday’s derby against Olympique Marseille, as well as the Champions League showdown against Barcelona—a significant blow for head coach Luis Enrique.