Football

Madrid: Lamine Yamal has been ruled out of Spain's World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria this month after suffering a recurrence of his groin injury, Barcelona said on Friday. The 18-year-old winger is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks after the problem resurfaced following Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. "The pain reappeared after the match with PSG," Barcelona said on Friday. "The estimated recovery time is two-to-three weeks." Barcelona made the statement after Yamal had been called up to the national squad, with Spain promptly confirming the news and removing him from their list. Against PSG, Yamal made his first start since August after missing four games while recovering from a groin injury, which drew the ire of Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who felt it was made worse by playing in September's World Cup qualifiers. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said earlier on Friday that he had no issue with Flick after his criticism of the national team's handling of the teenager. "The risk in football and in sports always exists. If he is playing at his club, he is assuming those risks. We are talking about completely normal situations," said De la Fuente about Yamal. "There is no conflict with Flick. I was simply surprised by those statements because he has been a national team coach and I thought he had that empathy," De la Fuente said after announcing his squad for the upcoming qualifiers. "You know we have two very important matches; we are playing for World Cup (qualification). It seems like they're in the background, and we're talking about Flick. "We are playing for the World Cup, that is what really matters. The rest is not important. Everyone said what they said, and that's it." No Williams, Carvajal, Morata Yamal's latest injury also casts doubt over his availability for the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26. Spain will be without Nico Williams and Dani Carvajal next week as well, while Alvaro Morata has been left out of the squad after a slow start to the season at Como. Athletic Bilbao winger Williams has not played since picking up a groin injury in the 6-0 win over Turkey. His club had reportedly asked for his playing time to be managed due to physical discomfort. Spain are top of Group E with six points after two matches. They face Georgia in Elche on October 11 and host Bulgaria in Valladolid three days later.

Qatar Sport

Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al Attiyah, Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), expressed his delight at Qatar’s commanding victories at Saint-Cloud yesterday. “First, I would like to thank H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for attending today’s races. His presence added greatly to the excitement of the wins, and having him personally present the trophies brought extra momentum to both the races and this major event in France, being associated with the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend,” he said. He added: “Qatar’s outstanding success in Purebred Arabian racing is no accident. It reflects the attention and support given by the country’s authorities to this discipline, which has been key to our achievements. Qatar has long been a leader in this field, and there is no doubt about the supremacy of Qatari Arabian horses. Today, Al Wasmiyah Racing’s Laffanand Al Shaqab Racing’s Subahiyah proved that beyond question. We hope to continue these victories in this year’s edition of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which will benefit Qatari racing and enhance its global standing. This event attracts worldwide attention and is regarded as one of the strongest and most prestigious events internationally, thanks to the quality of the horses competing in all divisions.” He concluded: “Races will continue tomorrow and the day after at ParisLongchamp. I wish Qatari owners continued success, particularly in the contests with major international titles, especially the Qatar Arabian World Cup to further strengthen Qatar’s leadership in Purebred Arabian racing worldwide.”

Qatar Sport

Doha, Qatar: Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, Acting CEO of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), expressed his delight at yesterday’s victories, describing them as a triumph for Qatar on the global stage. The wins came through Al Shaqab Racing’s Subahiyah and Al Wasmiyah Racing’s Laffan, representing a significant achievement for Qatari racing. He said: “There is no doubt that the presence of H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, at today’s races at Saint-Cloud underscores the strong support we receive in these international ventures. When victory is achieved, the joy is immense. Today, Laffan proved beyond doubt his right to win the Group 1 Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains while Subahiyah demonstrated her merit in taking the Group 1 Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches.” Bader Al Darwish added: “These wins are important at the start of the races within this major Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe event. They also confirm the superiority of Qatari-owned horses in Purebred Arabian racing worldwide. We are optimistic following today’s results and look forward to continuing this success in the upcoming races.”