Barcelona put star player on special plan to avoid injuries - Reports

Barcelona have reportedly implemented a special plan to guard against potential injuries for teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal. The winger is still 16, meaning he has growing ligaments and tendons, which can be affected by too much playing time.

The club's history of young players sustaining injuries, such as Ansu Fati, Pedri, and Ousmane Dembele, has led to this choice. Now, the Blaugrana are carefully controlling Yamal's playing time, as he is likely to sustain a muscle strain because of his fast-paced, dynamic playing style.

According to AS (via Barca Universal), Barcelona's medical staff has developed a customized program for the 16-year-old. This program targets ligament and tendon protection to reduce the likelihood of injuries and prevent overuse.

It will also be implemented to control Yamal's playing time in the remaining games of the season.

In an additional attempt to successfully control Yamal's workload, Barca have contacted the Spanish Federation and requested that Yamal's participation in big events be restricted to either the Olympic Games or the Euro Cup.

The winger has participated in 40 games thus far, logging over 2,000 minutes of game time at his age, raising serious injury concerns. Even though he will likely remain a key member of the team's starting lineup for the forthcoming games, Barca are dedicated to controlling Yamal's playing time to avoid injuries.

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Barcelona midfielder wants to face his former club in Champions League final

Barcelona player Ilkay Gundogan has revealed his preferred opponent in the UEFA Champions League final, as he hopes to face former club Manchester City.

As a free agent, Gundogan left England for Spain last summer, having won everything with the Cityzens and concluding his career at the Etihad Stadium with a European treble to boot.

Both Barcelona and Manchester City are actively participating in the Champions League. Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals while Barcelona will clash with Paris Saint-Germain. If they do manage to beat their respective opponents, there's a chance the two sides could eventually meet.

Speaking to SPORT about the continental competition, Gundogan said (via Daily Post):

“Would I like to face Man City in the Champions League final? Yes, of course. I’d like to play the final with Barca. It’d be great, then the opponent doesn’t matter. City have a fantastic team, of course, but UCL is always tricky."

In the meantime, he will be looking forward to helping his side get past French giants PSG, as the Blaugrana look to win the Champions League under Xavi.