Lamine Yamal calls reports on Barcelona injury spell 'lies' - ESPN

Lamine Yamal said there have been a lot of «lies» about his groin injury after helping Barcelona come from behind three times in Wednesday's 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Yamal, 18, missed seven games for club and country earlier this season because of a problem with his pubalgia, with some reports suggesting he might require surgery, but he has since started Barça's past five matches.

Barça coach Hansi Flick said it's an issue Yamal is still having to manage, but the teenager showed no ill effects against Brugge, scoring a stunning solo goal and setting up another.

«I am good,» he told reporters after the game. «I try not to read things.

»A lot has been said about my injury and that I was sad. It was all lies. I wanted to work hard to get back to this level, which is when I feel the best and have the most fun."

Barça trailed three times in a thrilling game at the Jan Breydel Stadium, responding through Ferran Torres, Yamal and a late Christos Tzolis own goal.

Yamal's goal, Barça's second equalizer, was the pick of the bunch as he collected the ball outside of the box, beat a man, played a one-two with Fermín López and then finished expertly.

The Spain international then set up Barça's third goal, ghosting inside and producing a cross which Tzolis flicked it into his own net.

«I am happy that Lamine is back on this level, but how I said also, we don't know what is tomorrow; we don't know what is next Sunday,» Flick said in the postgame news conference.

«The important thing is that he manages this situation he has now because it's not easy. He has to be focused on what he has to do, how he has to train and also the treatment.

»If he manages that the right way, hopefully it goes away, but it's not