Barcelona's Lamine Yamal: Clears scare before derby

Yamal (muscular) left training early Friday as a precaution after feeling slight discomfort, but medical checks confirmed there is no injury and he is available for Saturday's derby against Espanyol, according to Carlos Monfort of Diario Sport.

Analysis:

Yamal picked up a knock in Friday's training session that the club labeled as minor muscular overload, a routine issue at this point in the season, and he's since been fully cleared for the derby. Whether he gets the nod against Espanyol or is held back with Tuesday's Champions League second leg against Atletico looming will come down to coach Hansi Flick, with Roony Bardghji in line to step in if the staff opts to manage his minutes. That said, Yamal is reportedly pushing to play, leaving the final call to be made Saturday morning.