Yamal injury and recovery for the World Cup. The expert speaks

Barcelona is holding its breath for Yamal laminaestopped in the 40th minute against Celta Vigo just after converting the penalty to make it 1-0. The tests confirmed a lesion to the femoral biceps of the left thigh: La Liga season over, Clasico skipped, but the club talks about availability for the World Cupin which Spain’s debut is set for June 15th. We asked the Dr. Paolo Tornerisports physiotherapist in Verona, founder of PhysioScience and scientific communicator, to clarify.

Dr. Torneri, why can kicking a penalty cause an injury to the hamstring?
“During football, the biceps femoris works intensely to decelerate the leg after impact with the ball: it contracts as it lengthens, an eccentric contraction, developing tensions close to its tolerance threshold. If you add fatigue, a gesture performed at maximum intensity and any previous overloads, the tissue can fail. It’s no coincidence: the biceps femoris is the most frequently injured hamstring muscle in football. A similar injury happened to De Bruyne this year.”

What does “hamstring injury” mean and why does location matter?
“The biceps femoris is part of the hamstrings, together with the semimembranosus and semitendinosus. Modern classifications, such as that of Monaco, distinguish functional and structural lesions by gradating them by extension and location. A proximal lesion, close to the ischium, or with involvement of the tendon, requires longer times and a greater risk of recurrence compared to a distal and purely muscular lesion. Barcelona speaks of conservative treatment and a stop of about a month: elements that suggest a moderate lesion, without obvious tendon involvement”.

A month’s break, 50 days until the World Cup. Is it realistic?
“On paper, yes, but there is one fact to keep in mind: hamstring injuries have a recurrence rate of around 30% within the first year, concentrated in the first weeks after return. The risk is not ‘arriving in time’, but arriving ready. An early return exposes one to relapses that are often more serious than the original episode. The race against time, here, is the worst advisor.”
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What does rehabilitation consist of?
“The principle is to respect the biology of the tissue. The process is divided into three phases. In the acute phase (0–72 hours) pain and inflammation are controlled with low load and gentle movement: prolonged immobility is counterproductive. In the intermediate phase we work on progressive reinforcement, with particular attention to the eccentric load, fundamental for the hamstrings, and to motor control. In the advanced phase, sprints, changes of direction and sport-specific gestures are introduced, including kicking the ball, which are gradually reintroduced. return is not decided on the calendar but on objective criteria: strength, mobility, neuromuscular control, absence of symptoms. It’s the transition from return to play to return to performance: it’s not enough to return to the pitch, you have to return capable of performing. For a player like Yamal, who thrives on explosiveness, this is everything.”