Yamal Lamine is expected to start for Spain against Austria on Thursday even while he is recovering from a hamstring injury. Spain has not released the starting lineup yet, but the expectation is that he will be one of the forwards at Los Angeles Stadium.
Lamine Yamal and Spain
Lamine Yamal appeared in all three group stage matches for Spain and still found the net against Saudi Arabia. He also played 75 minutes in Spain's 1-0 win against Uruguay, a result that clinched the group and a round of 32 spot.
That usage tells the story of his tournament so far. He has been available enough to stay on the field, but not long enough to complete a full 90 minutes as Spain manages the hamstring issue.
Luis De La Fuente's lineup
Luis De La Fuente has not released the starting lineup, which leaves the final sheet as the last formal step before Thursday. The practical read is simple: Spain is preparing to use Yamal's attacking edge again, even with the injury still part of the calculation.
At 18 years old, he has already made 28 appearances for Spain and scored seven goals. He is also the youngest Spain player to start and score in the World Cup, and his first career World Cup goal came against Saudi Arabia on June 15th in the 10th minute.
Austria at Los Angeles Stadium
The matchup comes after Spain advanced to the round of 32, so the lineup choice sits inside a knockout-stage setting rather than a routine group game. Yamal is 18 years old now and will be 19 on July 13th, which makes the workload around him part of Spain's immediate calculation.
He also carries +7000 odds to win the Golden Boot, a long shot that reflects how much production would still have to pile up from here. The immediate question is whether Spain names him among the starters against Austria on Thursday and asks him to keep working through the injury again.
