Xavi will take care of teen star Lamine Yamal's legs

Lamine Yamal is one of the standout performers in European football at the start of this season. After becoming the youngest debutant in Barça's history in La Liga at the age of 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days towards the end of the previous season, he has become a regular in Xavi Hernández's team, aided by the departure of Ousmane Dembélé and the expulsion of Raphinha in the first league match.

He dazzled in the Joan Gamper Trophy and has amassed 234 minutes and two assists in the first four league matches, starting in the last three games. In addition to these stats, he has been called up by the Spanish national team manager, Luis de la Fuente, for the matches against Georgia and Cyprus.

Despite his young age, the Spanish Federation decided to call up Lamine Yamal due to his performance with Barça and to encourage him to choose to represent Spain internationally rather than Morocco. Once he plays three matches with the Spanish senior team, he will no longer be eligible to play for another national team. He made his debut in Georgia in the 44th minute of the first half, replacing the injured Dani Olmo. He then sealed the victory with a well-taken goal, becoming, at 16 years and 57 days, the youngest debutant and goalscorer in the history of the Spanish national team. In the match against Cyprus, he was in the starting lineup, played for 61 minutes, and came close to scoring again, hitting the post.

In total, considering the minutes he has played for Barça and the Spanish national team, Lamine Yamal has accumulated 339 minutes since the season began. Therefore, the club intends to manage his playing time in the coming weeks. They are aware that he is a special talent and should not be kept on the sidelines to protect him, but due to his youth, they believe he should get some rest after the demanding schedule of the past few weeks.

Barça will play seven matches from this Saturday until October 8th, when another international break begins after the game against Granada. The club knows that Lamine Yamal is likely to be called up again by De la Fuente to participate in his third match with the Spanish national team, making him ineligible for another national team.

For these reasons, Lamine Yamal will be managed carefully in the upcoming Barça matches. There will be rotation in the next three weeks for almost all players, considering the monitoring done by the fitness coaches and the information received from GPS devices. However, special care will be given to the winger, as they do not want to risk any injuries with a player who, due to his youth, is not accustomed to playing two matches per week consistently.

Furthermore, Xavi is clear that he must also give opportunities to other players in the squad who can play on the right-wing. This includes Raphinha and Ferran Torres. Raphinha, the expected starter on the right-wing, missed the second and third league matches due to suspension after being sent off against Getafe and only had a few minutes in stoppage time against Osasuna before joining the Brazil national team. It's clear that his involvement will increase in the coming days.

On the other hand, Ferran Torres can play in any attacking position but has always been more comfortable starting from the right-wing. His start to the season has been very good. He has played 63 minutes for Barça in three matches and scored two goals. He secured the victory against Cádiz at Montjuïc and played a crucial role in the comeback against Villarreal. Additionally, he had half an hour with the Spanish national team against Cyprus, scoring two goals. Xavi is prepared to take advantage of his good form in the upcoming matches.

Rotation is on the horizon, and it's time to nurture and manage Lamine Yamal.