Lamine Yamal doubt for Barcelona ahead of Real Sociedad clash

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick stated on Saturday that he is uncertain whether teenage winger Lamine Yamal will be fit to start their La Liga match against Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Flick also mentioned that he expects playmaker Dani Olmo to be ready for the game despite feeling unwell overnight, while defender Pau Cubarsi will be available to play despite a cut on his face sustained during their Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday.

“Pau, I think (he will be fit), he trained with us for the whole training session,” Flick told reporters.

“Lamine, he was (working) inside and did specific strength training. He’s had a lot of matches in the last weeks so we took care of him… we’ll see what the situation is tomorrow.

“With Dani he felt a little bit uncomfortable at night and this morning is doing better, so with him just treatments and medical things, I think he’s ready for tomorrow.”

Barcelona held a nine-point lead over second-place Real Madrid heading into the weekend.

Coach Hansi Flick also stressed the importance of punctuality for his players, highlighting discipline within the team.

Spanish media reported that French defender Jules Kounde was excluded from the starting lineup for their October match against Alaves after arriving late to a team meeting.

“It’s a rule. I don’t speak about what happened in the past, it’s just about respect for the team,” said Flick.

“If you are five minutes too late, the others have to wait, this is not respect, this is not my understanding of being respectful.”