Barcelona's Lamine Yamal Misses Champions League Opener

Barcelona, Sep 17 (AP) Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal has been ruled out of their Champions League opener against Newcastle on Thursday due to an injury. The Catalan club confirmed on Wednesday that Yamal has not been included in the squad traveling to England for the league phase of the Champions League. This follows his absence from the Spanish league match against Valencia on Sunday. The star forward is experiencing discomfort in his pubic area, a condition that arose after his stint with Spain's national team during the international break. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed his displeasure with Spain for fielding Yamal for unnecessary durations during decisive victories in two World Cup qualifiers. Flick criticized Spain’s decision, claiming they were aware of Yamal's discomfort yet chose to play him. In response, the Spanish federation stated they had not been notified by Barcelona about any injury concerns regarding Yamal. On a brighter note for Barcelona, midfielder Frenkie de Jong will be available. He was sidelined for the Valencia match after an injury with the Netherlands national team during the international break. Last season, Barcelona advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League, where they were knocked out by Inter Milan. AP SSC SSC

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