Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has called up Lamine Yamal for what could well be his third and fourth caps against Scotland and Norway during the upcoming international break.
De la Fuente is well within his rights to do so, but it could leave Xavi sweating somewhat. Lamine Yamal has played nearly the whole match in the last two games, and with only three forwards who have played for Barcelona before available against Granada, Xavi is likely to play him once more. This is despite the fact Barcelona and Xavi will want to avoid giving him too much football too early.
Speaking about the precocious 16-year-old, de la Fuente compared Lamine Yamal to Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi.
“We always make sure the process is as reasonable as possible,” he told Marca, after the question noted the Barcelona starlet’s lack of experience in senior football.
“There are players who knock on the door before others. He has fantastic potential and, in any case, he must be taken care of. Do you remember when Messi and Maradona were 16 years old? If someone had said that they shouldn’y play at that age we would have put our hands on our heads. You don’t have to put limits on him, he has to demonstrate his level.”
Just days earlier, Xavi had told the press that they weren’t doing Lamine Yamal any favours by comparing him to Lionel Messi. Certainly the pressure and the attention he has received is incomparable to even Messi or Maradona, the former not making his debut until he was 17. Perhaps Pele is the only reasonable comparison, who won a World Cup at that age.
“Illness” and “injury” have been known to keep players from participating. Barca pays the young man’s salary, not the RFEF.
Just sayin’.