Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has certainly seen something from Lamine Yamal in order to give him much more consistent game time over the past two months. Part of that is the increased physical capacity of the teenager.
Given the injury issues that have seen fresh hopes Ansu Fati, Pedri and Gavi all spent significant time on the sidelines, there is a natural concern that 16-year-old Lamine Yamal could suffer a similar fate. Especially after Xavi included him from the start for eight straight games ahead of their clash with Getafe, when he was on the bench for the whole game.
MD claim he has been following a specific fitness plan in order to ready him for the rigours of the professional game though. That has seen him grow 2.5cm too, and the Barcelona medical staff believe he will reach just under six foot eventually. As part of that fitness plan, he has gained 7kg of muscle during the course of the season so far.
They go on to say that Pedri has also done a similar plan in order to bulk him up and handle the physicality of the game. It’s a fine balance, especially with Lamine Yamal, who is still growing naturally. Meanwhile Pedri has looked visibly larger on the pitch, but is yet to exhibit the engine that he showed in his earlier years since returning from his succession of injuries.
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