Spain must be patient, says Yamal as he continues to manage return from injury

Spain winger Lamine Yamal said on Friday ‌he is not yet ready to play a full match at the World Cup as he continues his carefully managed return from a hamstring injury, though the 18-year-old remains available for limited minutes in Sunday's game against Saudi Arabia.

The ​Barcelona forward played 25 minutes in Spain's lacklustre 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in ​their opening, his first appearance in nearly two months.

Spain face Saudi Arabia on ⁠Sunday, with Yamal's fitness already a central talking point as the European champions look to ​ignite a campaign that began with a splutter rather than a sparkle.

"I'm fine, I'm feeling good, ​but it's too soon, it's unnecessary; I'm still settling in – it's not the right time to play a full match yet – but I can play for as many minutes as the manager wants," Yamal told Spanish ​public television TVE.

“I want to be on the pitch; at the end of the day, ​even if you know you can’t play for 90 minutes, you always want to get out there and ‌help ⁠the team.”

Yamal, who helped Spain win a record-extending fourth European Championship title in 2024, said the injury had inevitably made him think about the World Cup.

"All players in the final stages of the season – with every injury, you think about the World Cup, and obviously about your ​team, but the World ​Cup is always on ⁠your mind," he said.

"After I've heard about the injury, thank God the doctors told me I was going to be ready, and here ​we are, happy. I hope I never get injured again."

Spain's draw with ​Cape Verde ⁠prompted criticism, but Yamal said the reaction should not become a drama.

"It's best to move on," he said. "There was a bit of a fuss over a draw, but in the end lots ⁠of teams ​have struggled in the first round – it doesn't mean ​anything.

"Obviously, we have to win on Sunday because we're among the favourites, but just because you've drawn doesn't mean you're ​one of the worst teams in the World Cup."