Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has indicated that young winger Lamine Yamal could play around 45 minutes in his team's next match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Saudi Arabia, İdman.Biz reports.
The Spanish manager spoke about Yamal's condition after the Barcelona star recently returned from injury and made his first appearance of the tournament in Spain's opening Group Stage match.
Yamal came off the bench in the 71st minute during Spain's goalless draw against Cape Verde in their World Cup opener. The 18-year-old had been recovering from an injury and was not considered ready to play a full match.
“We need to assess the situation with Lamine Yamal before our next match against Saudi Arabia,” De la Fuente said.
When asked whether the winger could be available for approximately 45 minutes, the Spain coach replied: “Of course, something like that.”
The comments were reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano on social media platform X.
Spain will face Saudi Arabia on June 21 in a crucial match as they look to secure their first victory of the tournament. After being held to a surprise 0:0 draw by Cape Verde, the 2010 world champions are under pressure to improve their performance and strengthen their position in the group.
Yamal is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in world football and could play a key role in Spain's hopes of making a deep run at the World Cup if he can quickly regain full fitness.
