Yamal Could Play Spain's World Cup Opener

Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed on Wednesday that 18-year-old Lamine Yamal is likely to recover from his hamstring injury in time for the team's opening World Cup match against Cape Verde on June 15. The Barcelona star, who picked up the injury on April 22, will miss Thursday's friendly against Iraq but could be cleared for the tournament opener.

De la Fuente emphasized that Yamal's availability doesn't guarantee playing time against Cape Verde. "He might get some minutes, or perhaps just train to build fitness for the next match," the coach said. Yamal recently expressed fear of missing the World Cup, but his recovery appears to be on track according to medical assessments. game-sweetbonanza.com