Barcelona make Lamine Yamal injury call ahead of Champions League return

Barcelona have opted not to bring back Lamine Yamal for their return to the UEFA Champions League this week.

The 17-year-old has missed Barcelona's two La Liga matches either side of the November international, in addition to an absence in Spain in the UEFA Nations League.

A persistent ankle injury is the reason for Lamine Yamal's ongoing fitness problems and Barcelona have been significantly affected by his absence from their squad.

One point from the two league games he missed underlines his importance to Hansi Flick, with Barcelona winning all 11 games he started before the injury and the three league games he missed ending in a draw or defeat.

According to the latest update from Mundo Deportivo, Lamine Yamal has not yet fully recovered from the problem, with the club opting for a risk.

The new target for return date is now the home game against Las Palmas on November 30, which would keep him within the original recovery scale of two to three weeks.