Lamine Yamal is expected to start for Spain against Uruguay after returning from a hamstring injury faster than expected, and Kevin De Bruyne remains the comparison name attached to the moment. Spain are still managing his minutes, though, because the tournament schedule could keep them in North America for five more matches after this one.
Lamine Yamal returns in Spain
The 18-year-old scored from close range at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, then was substituted at half time in Atlanta as Spain handled his workload carefully. That came after he had only come off the bench late against Cape Verde.
His injury began on April 22 against Celta Vigo at Camp Nou. From there, the path back moved quickly enough for him to be in line to start against Uruguay in Guadalajara, a sharper turnaround than Spain had planned for when the hamstring problem first hit.
Spain and Lamine Yamal
Spain needed that return after a slow opening stretch that included a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde despite 23 shots and 74% possession. Six days later, they beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Yamal adding the close-range finish that put him back into the center of the selection call.
Yamal also became the tenth man to score at a World Cup before his 19th birthday. That detail sits beside the more practical one for Spain: he is back in the mix early, but his load is still being managed one match at a time.
Uruguay in Guadalajara
Spain’s plan against Uruguay now has a clear edge: start him if the body allows, but avoid turning one match into a longer problem. With five more matches possible in North America, the margin for overuse is smaller than the margin for error.
For Spain, the immediate task is simple. Get the opening from Yamal if he starts, then decide how much of him can survive the rest of the run.
