Barcelona left Tuesday night with a win over Celta de Vigo, but also with another injury scare that could reshape the run-in. Lamine Yamal scored a penalty before asking to be substituted, and the first reports afterward pointed to a hamstring tear that would rule him out of the Clásico.
That would be a major blow for Barcelona, who stayed nine points behind Real Madrid after beating Celta and now face the prospect of finishing the season without one of their most decisive attackers. It is not ruled out that Yamal could miss the rest of the season, turning a routine league result into a problem that reaches well beyond one match.
Joao Cancelo also left the game on Wednesday after feeling discomfort in his right knee. At first, the issue was believed to be a knock rather than a serious injury, but he is now a doubt for the next match and could be rested. Barcelona are already carrying multiple absences, with Marc Bernal out after an ankle sprain in his left ankle against Atlético de Madrid on matchday 30 of LaLiga, Andreas Christensen still sidelined by a partial tear of the cruciate ligament and Raphinha recovering from a muscle injury.
The pattern is what matters now. Barcelona have been winning enough to stay in the chase, but the list of players unavailable is getting longer at exactly the point when the schedule demands the most. If Yamal is sidelined for the Clásico or longer, the team’s margin for error gets even smaller, and the next few days may decide whether this is a setback or the start of a much harder finish.