Spain boss: Yamal must toughen up after targeting

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned Lamine Yamal to get used to rough treatment on the pitch after the Barcelona winger was targeted in his country’s 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over Denmark on Saturday.

Yamal, 17, was on the end of several strong tackles from the Danish side and was seen limping back to the team bus after the game.

“You have to apply the toughness that the rules allow,” De la Fuente said in a news conference when asked for his thoughts on the challenges Yamal suffered against Denmark.

“There is a referee there to mark the limit. Against young players with his talent, [opponents] try to intimidate and look for contact.

“The referee has to protect these talented players, but Lamine has to get used to it. I would love it to be a bed of roses, Flower Power, but this sport is like that.

“Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a special talent. From there, I had a teammate who used to say: ‘What do you want, kisses [from the opponents]?’ Teams use the weapons they can within the rules.”

Denmark’s Victor Kristiansen was eventually booked for a foul on Yamal late in the game and the left-back said he wanted to let the teenager know he was not scared of playing against him.

“It was not that I thought I am going to get a yellow card here, it was simply to say [to him]: ‘Oi, I am also in this fight. I am not afraid of you,'” the Leicester City defender told Ekstra Bladet.

“When you have the opportunity to go into a 50-50 fairly that might hurt a little, you have to go for it. He is very skilful and very, very good at such a young age. He is going to be one of the best players for many years.”

Sources close to the Spain national team played down the significance of Yamal’s limp ahead of Tuesday’s Nations League game against Serbia, though a statement released by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) on Sunday confirmed that he had returned to Barcelona and wouldn’t play in that second game.

The RFEF statement said Yamal underwent an MRI scan that detected no “structural” injury and that the discomfort was workload-related.

Barça will be grateful for the decision to prioritise the player’s health and avoid unnecessary risks ahead of a tough run of fixtures after the international break.

The Catalan club face Sevilla next weekend and then welcome Bayern Munich in the Champions League, before travelling to Real Madrid for the first Clásico of the season.

Yamal has so far started 13 of 14 games for club and country this season, with De la Fuente saying before the victory over Denmark that the emphasis was on the clubs to rest players, not the national team.

Martín Zubimendi‘s second half volley earned La Roja the three points against Denmark in Murcia, moving Spain to the top of their Nations League group after three games with seven points, one more than the Danes.

They return to action on Tuesday with another home fixture, this time against third-placed Serbia in Córdoba. Serbia beat pointless Switzerland on Saturday.