Lamine Yamal’s game time for Barcelona and Spain is regularly a topic for discussion, with both club and country reluctant to rest the teenager due to his importance to both sides.
Barcelona’s No. 10 has played in every match for Hansi Flick’s side so far this season (totalling 851 minutes) and also played in all four of Spain’s Nations League fixtures in the recent international break.
However, there does appear to be a reason why Yamal almost always plays. Cadena Ser journalist Santi Ovalle says he’s been told by Barca that Yamal is rarely rotated because he “manages himself on the pitch.”
So what does that mean? Well, Ovalle says the club’s view is that: “At this point in the season, when there are only matches and no training, it’s good for Lamine to play a lot and get back into rhythm.
“They [Barca] admit that at some point they’ll have to substitute him. [But that] he’s a player who paces himself well on the pitch, who tires out less than the rest, and therefore there’s no need to save him from the final minutes like Pedri, Rodri, or other players of that type.”
Ovalle uses stats from the club to back up his claim. The data apparently shows Yamal “runs the least per game” and covers around nine kilometers per match – 2.5km less than Pedri (who runs the most).
The data also shows Yamal spends a considerable time on the pitch walking (remind you of anyone?). Ovalle says the stats highlight how the Spain star “spends 45% of the match walking and 32% jogging” which is why Barca are confident their young star knows “how to pace himself.”
Yamal will still presumably have to be rested at various points of the season but certainly not any time soon with huge games against Real Betis, PSG and Real Madrid up next.