Lamine Yamal pulls out of Spain squad, leaving Barca's sick bay half empty

The international break was supposed to let most of Barcelona's injured players recharge, but things are getting complicated even with the ones who were healthy. Lamine Yamal didn't even make it to Las Rozas: after the match against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano, the winger ended up with discomfort in his right knee, and the Spanish federation confirmed he will miss Spain's clash with Czechia.

There wasn't even time to pack a bag. Lamine stayed behind in Barcelona to undergo a few days of tests and monitoring, while the national team prepares for the first of two fixtures in this window. The good news, if you can call it that, is that the plan is for him to be available for the second match, against England on Sunday. That would put Hansi Flick's mind at ease ahead of the return of La Liga on November 22 against Villarreal at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Olmo and Kounde close to getting the green light

Meanwhile, there's reason for optimism with two other names. Dani Olmo, who got hurt on October 20 at the Parc des Princes, is progressing well in his recovery and will use this stretch without games to get fully up to speed. He's no ordinary player for Flick: the attacking midfielder was in excellent form right before the break, and he's missed big matches against Real Madrid, Aston Villa and Atletico themselves.

Something similar is happening with Jules Kounde, who also looks on track to be back after the break. His injury, picked up at La Cartuja, dragged on longer than the club initially expected, but everything points to him being available for selection again.

Rodri, the big question mark

The picture is trickier with Rodri. Barcelona reported a minor injury to the biceps femoris in his right leg, without confirming an exact timeline for his return. The expectation is that he could reappear toward the end of November, though whether he'll be ready for the Villarreal match, the first game back after the break, remains uncertain.

And the schedule shows no mercy: right after that, on November 25, the team travels to Azerbaijan for the fifth Champions League matchday, and four days later it's off to A Coruna to face Deportivo. Whether Rodri will be ready for either of those fixtures remains an open question.

Further down the road is the return of Xavi Espart, who had earned a regular spot in the side thanks to Flick's trust in him, rotating between left back and right back, and who even scored a stunning goal against PSG. Just days later, in the match against Madrid, he suffered a right ankle syndesmosis injury after a collision with Tchouameni. Flick himself confirmed it in a press conference:

He'll have to wait until 2027 to come back.Hansi Flick

The slowest case of all belongs to Roony Bardghji. The Swedish winger tore his ACL during a preseason training session, right when a departure from the club seemed like the most likely outcome. His return isn't expected until the final stretch of the season.