Flick to ask Barça: Can we win without Yamal?

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has said he will ask his team if they are capable of winning without Lamine Yamal after confirming the forward will miss Saturday’s trip to Celta Vigo in LaLiga.

The 17-year-old is sidelined with a sprained ankle and is also rated as doubtful for Tuesday’s Champions League game against Brest at the Olympic Stadium.

Barça have lost both league games this season when Yamal has not started — against Osasuna in September and at Real Sociedad two weeks ago — raising questions about their dependence on the youngster.

“I will ask the team this [on Saturday],” Flick said in a news conference when asked if Barça can win games without Yamal. “I think it’s a good question for them.”

Yamal has scored six goals and laid on eight assists in all competitions this season, nailing down his place on the right side of Barça’s attack as they have climbed to the top of the LaLiga table.

His absence was notable before the international break as Barça were beaten 1-0 by La Real in San Sebastián, although Flick said it was not the reason for the defeat. “Against Real Sociedad we didn’t play very good, so that was the reason, [it was] not about Lamine not playing,” the German coach added.

“Lamine is for us very important, but we also have to adapt to this. We have players who can play for him [on the right]. It could be [Raphinha], it could be Dani [Olmo], it could be Fermín [López], it could also be Pablo [Torre] or Pau [Víctor].”

The loss of Yamal is softened by the form of his attacking partners Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who have found the net 31 times between them so far this season.

However, even Lewandowski acknowledged this week that he has never seen a player break through like Yamal has.

“The first time when I saw him in a training session he was 15,” the Poland striker said in an interview with Rio Ferdinand. “For the first time in my life, I saw someone, because I saw a lot of young, talented players, but it was the first time in my life that I have inside this ‘Wow, who is this?’

“I saw others with good things, also [Jamal] Musiala had something, but Lamine is the first time I go ‘Wow, how is it possible with this age he already has this kind of level?’

“Even at 16, come on, it’s impossible to be this good and this clever at this age.

“I always try to give him advice. From one side, it’s amazing what he’s doing, but soon he will have the huge challenge to stay on this level or maybe do the next step. It’s not about the next two years, it’s the next 10 years he should be thinking what to do to be on the top aged 28, 30 … that for me is the biggest challenge of his career.”

Lewandowski has recovered from a back injury and will be fit to face Celta this weekend, while Eric García and Ferran Torres also returned to training on Friday.

In addition to Yamal, Marc-André ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal and Ansu Fati are unavailable, although Flick said Araújo is set to return to training on Sunday.

Barça travel to Balaídos as LaLiga leaders after 13 matches, six points clear of Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.