Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expects Lamine Yamal to be available for the team's World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta, though the 18-year-old will sit out Thursday's warmup against Iraq in A Coruña.
Injury timeline
Yamal injured his lefthamstring while converting a penalty for Barcelona in a Spanish league match on April 22. He said this week he was scared of missing the tournament and prayed he would recover in time.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
"If nothing changes, he could be ready to play on June 15," de la Fuente said Wednesday. "It doesn't mean for sure he will play. We'll have to evaluate."
Squad situation
The two other injured players in camp — Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz — will also miss Thursday's match, along with those who played in the Champions League final. Spain's final warmup comes Monday against Peru in Mexico.
After opening against Cape Verde in Group H, Spain faces Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara.
Spain has never advanced past the round of 16 since winning its only World Cup in 2010.