According to a report by GOAL on Tuesday November 10, 2026, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has provided a positive update on Lamine Yamal's fitness after confirming that the Barcelona superstar will miss Thursday's UEFA Nations League encounter against Czechia because of a knee problem.

The 19-year-old has been left out of Spain's immediate plans for the fixture after experiencing discomfort in his right knee following Barcelona's 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday, November 8.

However, De la Fuente has expressed confidence that the youngster will recover in time to feature in Spain's next match against England on Sunday.

Yamal played the entire 90 minutes against Atletico Madrid and produced another impressive performance, providing the assist for Fermín López's winning goal in the 66th minute.

Despite his contribution to Barcelona's important victory, the winger reportedly experienced discomfort in his right knee after the encounter.

The Spanish Football Federation subsequently confirmed on Monday that Yamal would remain in Catalonia rather than immediately joining the national team at Las Rozas.

Federation doctors are reportedly maintaining daily contact with Barcelona's medical department to monitor the situation and determine when the teenager can resume training.

Speaking to EFE, De la Fuente explained that the decision to leave Yamal out of Thursday's game was mainly precautionary, insisting that Spain did not want to take unnecessary risks with one of their most important players.

He said: "It was the right thing to do. He was surely willing to play and if we had had an emergency, we would have decided to start him. But it was not worth taking any risk."

The Spain manager also revealed that Yamal's knee problem dates back to Barcelona's Champions League victory over Aston Villa on November 3.

According to De la Fuente, the encounter left the youngster with a small inflammation that has prevented him from feeling completely comfortable.

Although the issue did not stop him from featuring against Atletico Madrid, Spain's medical team believes allowing him additional recovery time is the best decision.

Reports indicate that tests conducted on Monday morning did not reveal any serious damage to the teenager's knee.

Yamal is expected to arrive at Spain's training camp in Madrid late on Thursday or Friday morning, depending on his recovery.

That would give him an opportunity to participate in two training sessions before Sunday's important meeting with England.

His potential availability will be a major boost for De la Fuente, who will want his strongest attacking options available for the encounter.

Spain have already secured qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals after collecting 12 points from their opening four matches.

Czechia, meanwhile, are bottom of the group without a single point, meaning Thursday's fixture carries less significance for the defending champions.

The situation is different ahead of the England encounter, which is expected to determine the group winners and provide an advantage in the quarter-final draw, including home advantage for the second leg.

Meanwhile, Yamal's workload this season has also become a talking point following his latest fitness problem.

The Barcelona youngster has started all 20 matches he has played for club and country this campaign, recording an impressive 17 goals and 13 assists.

He also accumulated 281 minutes during the previous international break, exceeding the 270-minute limit De la Fuente had established.

The demanding schedule has raised questions about the amount of football the teenager is playing at such an early stage of his career.