Barcelona's German coach, Hansi Flick, indicated that the young star, Lamine Yamal, has begun to regain his "usual level", before facing Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish Football League on Monday.
The 19-year-old player suffered in Barcelona's first match of the season against Elche, but he performed better against Athletic Bilbao in the second match, despite not scoring any goals.
Flick said that the world champion with Spain is starting to return to his best levels, a level he has not reached since he suffered an injury to the posterior thigh muscle in April.
The young winger returned to participate in the World Cup, but despite Spain's success in the tournament, his individual impact remained limited.
Flick told reporters on Sunday: “I know that everyone is worried about Lamin, how he is and what his situation is.” And of course, if you look at his condition, he played the World Cup after a major injury.”
He added: “He is back now after a three-week break... and the first match may not have been his best match. But I said I was very happy that he started the match, and he worked for the team.”
Yamal showed a disappointing performance in the first half against Bilbao on Thursday, but he improved his performance after the break.
Flick continued: “He played 90 minutes against Bilbao. In the meantime, it would also be good for him to spend the full 90 minutes on the pitch. We saw him in some shots at this really high level. "You may not have been able to see that in today's training session, but I saw it and it was excellent."
He continued: “Everyone loves Lamine, and he is on the right path.” We have to support him, and we do.”
Yamal seemed in a bad mood after the Elche match, but he appeared happier during training before facing Rayo Vallecano.
Flick said: “Of course, it is always good to see players smiling, but not every day is the same. Even I don't smile every day, this is normal.
Barcelona won its first two matches this season, with Brazilian Rafinha temporarily appointed as the spearhead, after the defending champion failed to sign its main target, Argentine Julián Alvarez, from Atletico Madrid.
Flick said: “Of course I am happy with my team, and Deco is working to strengthen the squad. "We don't feel any pressure."
The German coach reiterated that he is satisfied with the players available to him, even if Barcelona does not succeed in including a new striker.
Liverpool's Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk hopes that the club will be able to keep his compatriot Cody Khakpo, in light of reports that Manchester City, the 10-time English Premier League champion, is close to signing him before the transfer market closes on Tuesday.
It seems that Khakpo may decline in the ranking of attacking options at Anfield after the arrival of Bradley Barkola from Paris Saint-Germain for a deal that could be worth up to $166 million. Which makes the Frenchman the second most expensive player in the history of the Premier League.
During three and a half years with Liverpool, Khakpo scored 51 goals, and played a prominent role in the club achieving its twentieth title in the local league in the 2024-2025 season.
The 27-year-old player started the current season well, after scoring one goal and making another during Liverpool's draw in its first two matches under the leadership of its new Spanish coach, Andoni Iraola, against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, with the same score, 2-2.
But it seems that Liverpool is open to benefiting financially from selling Khakpo, at a time when reports indicate that City is willing to pay about $102 million to include him.
"He is a high-quality player, and I think we should keep quality players, but let's see what the next three days bring about," Van Dijk said.
He added: “It is quite clear that I want him to stay, not only because he is a special player; “But because he is also a friend of mine, and I think he will be very important to us.”
Barkola was attracted to the idea of playing in England, coming from the European champions, despite the difficult period that the Reds went through, after they finished last season in fifth place.
But Van Dijk is confident that Liverpool will always remain an attractive destination for the best players in the world, and he said: “I think Liverpool is still one of the biggest clubs in the world. Of course we all know that we are going through a transition, and you either want to be part of it or you don't. As for me, I am part of it now.”
He added: “He (Barcola) is a very good player. If he comes, he will be welcomed with open arms, but as long as the matter has not been resolved yet, there is no point in talking about it now.”
