Hansi Flick optimistic about Lamine Yamal's fitness for Copa Del Rey tie with Atletico Madrid

Hansi Flick optimistic about Lamine Yamal's fitness for Copa Del Rey tie with Atletico Madrid

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is hopeful that Lamine Yamal will be fit to feature against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday.

Yamal, who played in Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Las Palmas in LaLiga on Saturday, was substituted in the final stages of the match and later shared an image of his injured foot on social media, showing signs of a bloody wound.

The 17-year-old missed training on Monday, but Flick remains optimistic that he will be available to play against Atletico.

"We have to wait (on Yamal)," he said at a press conference. "But I'm staying positive about this, and I believe he can play tomorrow, which is also what the doctor has indicated."

The photo Yamal posted over the weekend had a caption that read: "But it's not a foul," followed by laughing emojis, referring to the tackle that went unpunished.

During the game, Yamal suffered three of the 12 fouls committed by Las Palmas, but Barcelona felt many other fouls went uncalled, leading to calls for greater protection for the winger.

"We can't say we should specifically protect Lamine, Raphinha, or (Real Madrid's) Vinícius (Junior) and (Kylian) Mbappeâ”every player deserves protection," Flick explained.

"If it's a really harsh foul, it should result in a yellow card. When this isn't given, defenders gain confidence to make more aggressive tackles."

"We need to be more aware of this. We need to safeguard all players, not just the special ones. Here in Spain, everyone loves players who take on 1 vs. 1 challenges. It's what makes this style so unique and exciting for the fans, and we must protect that."

Barcelona's win over Las Palmas kept them at the top of LaLiga, tied on points with Real Madrid, and just one point ahead of Atletico. They now shift focus to the Copa del Rey.

In their previous LaLiga encounter with Atletico in December, Barcelona suffered a 2-1 home loss, but Flick praised his team's performance despite the defeat.

"The positive takeaway from that match is that we can play excellent football," Flick said. "What we showed there was at the highest level."

"Now, it's a new game, and we must demonstrate that again. Atletico is a great team, they've invested heavily, and they're performing really well."

"They have the best defense, but also outstanding offensive players. It's going to be a tough match."

The outcome of the tie won't be determined on Tuesday, with the second leg scheduled for April 2 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone also shared his thoughts ahead of the clash.

"We have a clear idea of the type of game we want to play," Simeone said in his own press conference. "I really admire how Barca plays. They're very strong with their high defensive line. We'll aim to exploit that."

"When you face top teams, there are periods when you will suffer, and you have to be prepared to withstand that. We'll have good moments tomorrow, and also times when we'll be under pressure. That's what happened against (Real) Madrid. We hope to have more positive moments, and more decisive ones."

In the other Copa del Rey semifinal, Real Madrid will face Real Sociedad, with the first leg set for Wednesday at Anoeta and the return match at the Bernabeu on April 1.

READ MORE: LaLiga chief accuses Real Madrid of 'whining' over referee decisions