RFEF 'surprised and concerned' over Yamal's groin surgery

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has expressed his dismay at the news that FC Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal would miss Spain's upcoming World Cup qualifiers after undergoing treatment on his ongoing groin injury.

De la Fuente on Friday included Yamal in his squad for games against Georgia and Turkey, saying that he believed the winger was fit after he had played all of Barcelona's 3-3 draw against Club Brugge during the week.

Spain's Lamine Yamal (L) vies with Brazil's Lucas Beraldo during an international friendly football match in Madrid, Spain, March 26, 2024. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

Yamal also played over 90 minutes in his side's 4-2 win away to Celta Vigo on Sunday, but the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) discovered later that he had undergone treatment on Monday morning for his injury and wouldn't be able to play for his country.

"I've never experienced anything like this. I don't think it's very normal," commented De la Fuente in a radio interview.

The coach added that the news had come as a shock. "You don't have any prior notice, you don't know any details, and on top of that, it's a health issue, so you're left stunned," he said.

The RFEF has issued a statement expressing its "surprise and dismay," at the news explaining it had learned "at 1:47 p.m. on Monday, November 10, the day the official training camp with the national team began, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radio frequency procedure to treat his pubic discomfort that same morning."

"This procedure was performed without prior notification to the national team's medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 10:40 p.m. last night, which indicated a medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days," it added.

De la Fuente has called Rayo Vallecano winger Jorge de Frutos into his squad to cover Yamal's absence.