MADRID (AP) — Ramin Yamal was afraid of missing the game. world cup After injuring his hamstring, he prayed that he would recover in time.
Yamal is expected to be fit for the tournament starting June 11 in North America. he I was injured He injured his left hamstring while converting a penalty kick in a Spanish league game against Barcelona on April 22nd.
“I’ve never had an injury like the hamstring, but I knew it wouldn’t take long to recover,” Yamal said in an interview with the Spanish Football Federation published on Sunday. “I was worried that it was something serious or that it would come back and I wouldn’t be able to play in the World Cup.”
Yamal, 18, collapsed after scoring a penalty in the first half against Celta Vigo. After scoring a goal, he immediately turned to the bench to signal an injury. As his teammates arrived to celebrate, he fell to the ground and appeared to grab the back of his left leg.
“I remember the play where I was injured,” Yamal said. “I knew the World Cup was coming up, so I was praying in my heart that it wouldn’t be something serious, that I wouldn’t have any cramps or anything like that.”
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said last week after including Yamal in his World Cup squad that the forward is expected to be ready for either Spain’s first or second leg. La Roja will make his debut on June 15th in Atlanta against Cape Verde. They will then face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on June 21st and Uruguay in Guadalajara, Mexico on June 26th.
Yamal is expected to lead the Spanish national team as they aim to win their second world title. They won their first victory at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“The time has finally come,” Yamal said. “I’ve been thinking about this day ever since the European Championships ended and I’m really excited. I’m going into the tournament as European champions and I’m going to give it my all.”
Spain officially began preparations for the World Cup in Madrid on Saturday. Around 2,000 people watched the team’s first training session on Sunday.
___ AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
