Barcelona right winger Lamine Yamal is probably the best player in world football as he was the standout performer at last summer’s European Championship as Spain won the title and started 2024/25 with a commanding lead season.
Yamal is Barcelona’s most offensively gifted player and is in the midst of a historically great offensive season under new head coach Hansi Flick. So far, he has scored 5 goals and provided 7 assists in 11 starts, averaging 2.2 key passes and 5.0 dribblings and fouls per game.
Perhaps the best example of Yamal’s value to Barcelona came last weekend, when Barca lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad and failed to win a one-on-one match for the first time all season, nor against a rather impressive side. How much meaningful offense comes from a disappointing team.
Yamal missed the La Liga match, his second of the season, due to muscle overload. Barcelona will therefore have to be careful when managing the 17-year-old prodigy’s playing time, with a heavy workload likely to harm his prospects due to recent injuries to midfielders Garvey and Pedri.
While Yamal should be back in the Barcelona squad after international break when La Liga resumes against Celta Vigo on November 23, if he misses future games it looks like Barca have a tailor-made lineup.
According to Diario Sport’s Jaume Marcet, 16-year-old Toni Fernandez is a replacement in case Lamine Yamal is injured or unavailable, with Barcelona keen on their latest attacking talent .
Hansi Flick is said to be a fan of Fernandez as the club values his ability to create chances and dribble in one-on-one situations. They believe he has the ability to become a star on the wing in his own right.
Fernandez is currently out for the next month with an ankle injury, so he is currently of little use as Yamal’s backup. But going forward, Fernandez could get playing time under Flick this season and play a key role in helping cushion the loss to Yamal, which was obviously a big loss for Real Sociedad last weekend.
There are so many gems in Barcelona’s academy and we’re seeing Flick flourish under a truly great coach, so if Fernandes steps out of Yamal’s shadow and becomes another acclaimed Barcelona of young stars, don’t be surprised.
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