Barcelona [Spain], May 5 (ANI): Lamine Yamal has taken a significant step forward in his recovery from injury, returning to grass training at FC Barcelona's facilities as he eyes a place in Spain's football team's squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 18-year-old forward has resumed individual on-field sessions after initially undergoing gym-based rehabilitation following a partial tear of the biceps femoris in his left leg, sustained on April 22. Barcelona's medical team has opted for a conservative recovery route, ruling him out of the club's remaining domestic fixtures this season.

Despite the setback, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente remains optimistic about Yamal's availability for the global tournament, underlining the player's importance to his plans.

'They are very important players, because we know the impact they can have in those matches. It's not the same playing in the group stage as it is getting into the round of 32, the round of 16, the quarterfinals. We will assess each case, because our goal is to reach July 19th, the final,' De la Fuente said, as per Cadena SER, reported by goal.com.

The Spain boss also referenced Dani Olmo's experience at Euro 2024 as an example of managing player fitness ahead of major tournaments.

'He (Olmo) arrived at the Euro 2024 training camp almost injured, which is unpredictable,' the coach admitted. 'We were close to leaving him out, and then Dani Olmo proved to be a key player in the tournament.'

'He (Olmo) was the top scorer, he gave that pass to Mikel Merino, he cleared Germany's goal off the line. And he knew he could have easily gone home because he had a problem with his calf. We decided to stick it out, and it worked out well,' Spain Head Coach said.

Yamal will continue his rehabilitation programme with monitored individual sessions in the coming weeks. While he is set to miss the remainder of Barcelona's campaign, his progress has provided encouragement for both club and the country as Spain builds towards the World Cup in North America.

For now, his return to grass training marks a crucial milestone in his recovery journey and keeps alive hopes of a timely comeback on football's biggest stage. (ANI)