Barcelona suffered their second league loss of the season on Sunday, falling 1-0 to Real Sociedad without young star Lamine Yamal.
The Catalans hadn’t lost since their 4-2 defeat at Osasuna in September, and one clear pattern has emerged in both road defeats: 17-year-old sensation Yamal was absent. Alongside Raphinha and Lewandowski, Yamal has helped form one of Europe’s most lethal attacks this season under Hansi Flick.
In the Osasuna match, Flick had opted to rest key players, with Yamal only appearing after Barcelona was already down 2-1. This time, however, the Spanish international wasn’t available at all, having missed Saturday’s training session at the Joan Gamper Complex to instead work on his fitness privately.
Just an hour before kickoff, Barcelona announced that Yamal had suffered a “severe right ankle contusion” during last Wednesday’s clash against Red Star Belgrade. While he has been receiving treatment, ongoing discomfort kept him out of action.
The club is now waiting for permission from the Spanish Football Federation to let Yamal remain in Barcelona for recovery, instead of joining Spain’s squad for Nations League fixtures. Barcelona struggled without Yamal’s playmaking, ultimately falling to a 33rd-minute goal by Surinamese winger Sheraldo Becker.
Fans are still wondering if Barcelona have “Laminedependencia” – or “Laminedependence” in English – as often said and seen during the era of the player he is most compared to in Lionel Messi.
