Lamine Yamal Sidelined with Ankle Injury: Barcelona's Winger Faces Crucial Time Out

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal is sidelined with a grade one anterior tibiofibular ligament injury, ruling him out for three to four weeks. This absence includes pivotal matches against Atletico Madrid and in subsequent competitions. Yamal recently suffered a similar injury, and Barcelona's standings in LaLiga are now under pressure.

Barcelona's promising young winger, Lamine Yamal, has been dealt a significant blow after suffering an ankle injury during their weekend match against Leganes. The LaLiga club confirmed on Monday that the 17-year-old is facing a three to four-week recovery from a grade one injury to his anterior tibiofibular ligament.

The injury occurred in the closing stages of Barcelona's narrow 1-0 loss at home, forcing Yamal to leave the field with just 15 minutes remaining. His absence will be a notable one as Barcelona is set to confront Atletico Madrid in a key fixture that could determine the standings in LaLiga.

In addition to the Atletico clash, Yamal's recovery timeline also puts him in doubt for other critical matches, including the Copa del Rey game at Barbastro and the Spanish Super Cup in January. Barcelona now faces increasing pressure, clinging to top spot in LaLiga with rivals Atletico and Real Madrid breathing down their neck.

(With inputs from agencies.)