MADRID, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick on Saturday admitted he was unsure whether 18-year-old Lamine Yamal would be able to play again soon.
Barcelona announced on Friday that Yamal had suffered a relapse of the pelvic problems that have troubled him since the last international break in September, limiting him to just 30 minutes across last weekend's match and Wednesday's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
The club said in a statement that the forward would be sidelined for two to three weeks, but Flick was less definitive.
"We don't know when he'll be back... with this injury, it's not easy; it's not a muscle injury. We don't know if he'll be back in two, three, or four weeks," Flick said at his press conference ahead of Sunday's game away to Sevilla.
The key date in Barcelona's October calendar is the Clasico away to Real Madrid on Oct. 26, but Flick refused to commit to Yamal's availability.
"I don't know if he'll be ready for El Clasico... He'll work with the recovery team. He'll take it step by step and we'll see how he evolves," he noted.
Flick added that Yamal had "felt good" before playing against PSG, "otherwise he wouldn't have played."
The coach had previously criticized Spain boss Luis de la Fuente for overusing Yamal in Spain's easy wins over Bulgaria and Turkey before the break. This time, however, Flick struck a more conciliatory tone regarding international duty.
"It's part of the life of a very good footballer," he said. "Everyone wants to play for the national team, but you have to manage your playing time together. It's good to have players with their national teams. But you have to manage it well." Enditem
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