Barcelona MVP Yamal played against Inter with pain-killing injection

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal was at the heart of everything good for the Blaugrana in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter. Just minutes before the match there was an injury scare though, and it was believed that he could be ruled out of the match.

The 17-year-old felt pain in his leg after taking a shot, and exited the warm-up early, going into the dressing room to receive a medical examination. However he was passed fit by the medical staff, and there was little sign of any fitness issues once the whistle had gone, as Lamine Yamal put in a brilliant performance.

According to Esport3 though, there was more to his injury than that. They note that Lamine Yamal felt discomfort in his right quadriceps, that is to say his thigh, and the medical staff had a look at it. They allege that Lamine Yamal had a pain-killing injection to play through the discomfort.

That said, this was not the impression that either player or manager gave after the match. The 17-year-old called it ‘nothing’ in his post-match interview, while Hansi Flick seemed content with his fitness after the game. The German coach noted that the medical staff had given him the green light before the game began.

Barcelona look set to implement mass rotations this weekend against Real Valladolid on Saturday night, coming off two exhausting clashes against Real Madrid, which went to extra time, and Inter. The Blaugrana are required to win to maintain their advantage over Real Madrid, but against a side that is bottom and already relegated, many believe that Barcelona will make changes. Flick may be a little more tempted to rest Lamine Yamal than he was previously.