Lamine Yamal is reportedly on track to feature in Spain’s opening World Cup fixture against Cape Verde on 15 June, despite a recent hamstring injury. The teenage forward has been sidelined since 22 April, causing him to miss the conclusion of Barcelona’s LaLiga-winning season.Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, expressed cautious optimism regarding the 18-year-old’s availability for the crucial match next week, though he remained non-committal on whether Yamal would be fit enough to start.Yamal, alongside fellow injured players Nico Williams and Victor Munoz, was omitted from Spain’s squad for their final pre-World Cup friendly against Peru in Puebla, Mexico. However, De la Fuente reassured reporters about their progress."All three are on track to be fit to play on the 15th. We do not know how many minutes they will be able to play," he stated. "But Lamine’s injury was different from Nico and Victor. Each player will have their own recovery process and timeline. However, the most important thing is that, within the timeframe we had planned, the 15th is achievable and will be met, so that they are with us and are available to be selected at some point during the opening game."Lamine Yamal is on track to make his World Cup debut next week (Reuters)With Yamal, Williams, and Munoz all working towards full fitness, Spain is keen to avoid further injury concerns. This perhaps explains the reaction to Gavi’s heavy tackle on fellow midfielder Rodri during a training session on Sunday. The Manchester City star appeared to be in considerable pain following the collision, requiring assistance from teammates to get back on his feet.De la Fuente, however, remained unfazed by the incident. "This is football," he added. "It’s training. The players are very committed, and nobody has to apologise to anybody. Everything is fine. We know Gavi, he has that energy, that drive. That’s one of his virtues. He has to control it and ration it. But I want this Gavi."Luis de la Fuente says that Spain are monitoring their injured players, such as Lamine Yamal, but expects them to be fit for the first group stage game (Reuters)Spain enter the World Cup in North America this summer among the favourites, having recently triumphed in Euro 2024. Despite this, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Iraq last Thursday and failed to score against Egypt in March. La Roja boast an impressive record, losing only once in their last 29 matches – a penalty shootout defeat to neighbouring Portugal in the 2025 Nations League final.Forward Yeremy Pino acknowledged the team’s status, telling reporters: "The favourites tag is normal. We’ve had some very good years and we carry that with a lot of pride. Pressure should not make us play worse. It should make us improve and play better."