The first international break of the season has delivered a familiar mix of elation and anxiety for Barcelona, with Lamine Yamal lighting up the stage for Spain while Raphinha's fitness now hangs in the balance after returning from Brazil duty with muscular discomfort.

For the Catalans, the timing could hardly be worse. With players only just getting into a rhythm at club level, the break comes at precisely the wrong moment, and with the resumption of the Champions League looming, any injury picked up on international duty is another blow to a club navigating a vital part of the campaign.

A 'pointless' trip Down Under

The source of Barcelona's frustration is the fixture list itself. Brazil travelling all the way to Australia for friendly games has raised eyebrows across the continent, and while Raphinha's injury is hopefully not serious, observers argue that is hardly the point.

The criticism is blunt: a squad containing many European-based players has been forced, once again, to travel to the other side of the world for a totally meaningless set of matches, with the players themselves cast as pawns in a wider game. As the piece notes, the real driver is lining the pockets of those who remain in charge of the sport, with players "being flogged to all corners of the planet at every possible opportunity, as long as it's oiling the wheels of the money-making machine."

Culers can only hope that by the time Raphinha returns, his muscular discomfort hasn't caused any further issues which could sideline him for any length of time.

Yamal seizes the spotlight

Yet the flip side of the break is that some players seize the opportunity to shine, and none have done so more brilliantly than Lamine Yamal. The teenager scored inside the second minute against both England and Croatia, added another goal for good measure against the latter, and recorded an assist to cap a spectacular international window.

The goals arrive as Yamal is being tipped to win the Ballon d'Or next month. After losing out to Ousmane Dembele last year, there are genuine reasons to believe he might go one better this time. At the tender age of just 19, he is ripping up the record books virtually every time he puts a pair of boots on.

While Dembele can celebrate another Champions League triumph, Yamal can point to a World Cup triumph with Spain and being the fulcrum in Barcelona's title win last season as reasons why he has to remain in the conversation at the very least.

A smiling superstar

Regardless of whether he wins the award or not, his international form has been a joy to watch. "It's been fantastic to see him expressing himself so brilliantly against the best that Europe has to offer and played with a smile on his face once again," the report concludes.

After a slow-ish start to his season by his own lofty standards, Yamal is already a shining light for club and country. For Barcelona, the hope is that the same can soon be said of Raphinha — as long as his latest setback proves to be nothing more than a scare.