A potential explanation for Barcelona star Lamine Yamal not being hauled off earlier in the club’s most recent outing has early this week been provided.
Wide-man Lamine, for his part, was on Monday of course condemned to a fresh spell on the sidelines.
After a round of medical tests in Catalunya’s capital, the 17-year-old was diagnosed with a sprained ankle, which is expected to keep him away from the pitch for a period of three to four weeks.
Lamine suffered the injury during a La Liga meeting with Leganés on Sunday.
En route to an eventual 1-0 defeat for Barcelona, the Spanish international went to ground clutching his ankle during the first-half, in evident distress.
Despite as much, Lamine went on to continue until the 75th-minute, before being replaced by Gavi.
Many a Blaugrana supporter, meanwhile, have in turn suggested that the decision not to hook their side’s struggling attacker earlier may well have contributed to the eventual significance of his injury.
One individual who has since launched something of a defence of club and player alike, however, comes in the form of Álvaro Benito.
Speaking during an appearance on El Larguero, as cited by **[Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/videos/atletico-madrid/20241216/1002372335/asi-vivio-jorge-martin-bonito-homenaje-recibio-metropolitano.html)**, this week, former player and commentator Benito revealed his take that neither Lamine nor Barcelona could have known how serious his issue was until after the match had come to a close:
“Because it was hot. The ankle is usually grateful when it is warm. You don’t even realize it and the next day it is swollen from a sprain.”
Conor Laird – GSFN