Saturday, 4 January 2025
RICKELTON, BAVUMA HIT CENTURIES AS SOUTH AFRICA TAKE CONTROL OF CAPE TOWN TEST
CAPE TOWN – Ryan Rickelton and Temba Bavuma hit centuries as South Africa posted 316/4 at stumps on Day-I of the second Test against Pakistan at Cape Town on Friday.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Aiden Markram (17) and Ryan Rickelton (career-best 176 not out) provided a solid foundation with a 61-run opening partnership.
Just before lunch, Pakistan bowlers put South Africa on back foot by taking three quick wickets. Skipper Temba Bavuma (106) and Rickelton stitched a 235-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take South Africa to a comfortable position. Salman Agha bagged two wickets while Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad took one wicket each.
The hosts are 1-0 up in the series after winning the Boxing Day Test by two wickets. Pakistan made one change in the Playing XI, bringing Mir Hamza in place of Naseem Shah.
Just before lunch, Pakistan bowlers put South Africa on back foot by taking three quick wickets. Skipper Temba Bavuma (106) and Rickelton stitched a 235-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take South Africa to a comfortable position. Salman Agha bagged two wickets while Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad took one wicket each.
The hosts are 1-0 up in the series after winning the Boxing Day Test by two wickets. Pakistan made one change in the Playing XI, bringing Mir Hamza in place of Naseem Shah.
South Africa Playing XI: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Wiaan Mulder, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Temba Bavuma( capt), 6 David Bedingham, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Kwena Maphaka
Pakistan Playing XI: 1 Shan Masood (capt), 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Kamran Ghulam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Agha, 8 Aamer Jamal, 9 Khurram Shahzad, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Mir Hamza.
- Pakistan Observer
JUDE BELLINGHAM GRABS REAL MADRID LATE VALENCIA WIN AFTER VINÍCIUS RED
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| AFP |
Jude Bellingham made amends for missing a penalty by snatching 10-man Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Valencia on Friday to take them top of La Liga after winger Vinicius Junior was sent off.
Jude Bellingham made amends for missing a penalty by snatching 10-man Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Valencia on Friday to take them top of La Liga after winger Vinicius Junior was sent off. Huro Duro sent the hosts ahead in the first half of a feisty clash but Luka Modric levelled for Carlo Ancelotti's side before Bellingham pounced in stoppage time. Vinicius, who squared off with Valencia supporters who racially abused him at the same stadium in 2022, was dismissed for shoving Los Che goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski in the back of the neck with little over 10 minutes remaining.
Madrid were trailing at the time but Bellingham set up veteran midfielder Modric to level in the 85th minute and spark a superb comeback.
Bellingham broke in to strike in the 96th minute after a Valencia defensive error, sending Madrid two points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table, having played a game more than Diego Simeone's team.
"(Bellingham had a) great game, he didn't dip after the missed penalty, it gave him extra motivation," said Ancelotti.
"He made an extraordinary effort... (scoring) was a reward for him for the game he had."
Ancelotti said he did not think Vinicius' push deserved a red card and was surprised by his team's poor start to the match.
"We didn't think it was a red card... he went off and the team reacted, to the red, the missed penalty.
"It's hard to explain how badly we did in the first half and how good we did in the second, even with 10 men.
"It's three very important points, deserved, but we can't show these two sides (of ourselves)."
Los Blancos' trip to face Valencia was postponed at the end of October after devastating flooding in the region on Spain's east coast.
Sitting 19th, Valencia appointed Carlos Corberan to replace former coach Ruben Baraja during the winter break, pinching the Spaniard from English Championship club West Bromwich Albion.
The hosts made a strong start, shackling Madrid's star-studded attack before making the breakthrough after 27 minutes.
Dimitri Foulquier cut the ball back for Javi Guerra, whose shot was superbly saved by Thibaut Courtois but Duro turned the rebound into the empty net.
'Thanks team'
Mbappe was kept silent in the first half but a burst of pace in behind early in the second earned Madrid a penalty, when Tarrega was adjudged to have brought him down.
Bellingham was tasked with dispatching the spot kick but jumped just before he struck the ball and skidded a low effort against the post.
Replays indicated Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski was off his line when the penalty was taken, but it was not spotted by the officials.
Mbappe, who missed two penalties for Madrid before Christmas himself, thought he had pulled Los Blancos level when he skipped around Dimitrievski and tucked home, but he was fractionally offside.
Madrid were reduced to 10 men when Vinicius shoved Dimitrievski in the back of the neck after Valencia's goalkeeper had pushed him, after the Brazilian hit the deck under a fair challenge in the box.
Despite their numerical disadvantage Madrid pulled level when Bellingham nudged the ball through for substitute Modric, 39, to stab home.
The former Borussia Dortmund man snatched the winner when Foulquier's poor pass put team-mate Hugo Guillamon under pressure, and Bellingham raced on to his attempted back pass to finish with aplomb.
It was his sixth goal in his last seven games across all competitions, with Bellingham once again showing the goalscoring form that helped him become an instant hit with Madrid last season.
"Sorry and thanks team," said Vinicius on social media platform X after his colleagues spared his blushes.
Valencia's Luis Rioja struck the post with a vicious effort from distance in the 100th minute, inches away from snatching his side a last-gasp draw.
Valencia, who have not won in La Liga since November, are four points from safety.
"I don't care (about scoring), the important thing was the three points and we didn't get them," said goalscorer Duro.
"I hope I don't score a single goal in the rest of the season and we win the rest of our games 1-0 with an own goal."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- Agence France-Presse
INDIA BUNDLE OUT AUSTRALIA FOR 181 TO TAKE 4-RUN LEAD IN FINAL TEST
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| India’s Prasidh Krishna (C) reacts after dismissing Australia’s Alex Carey during day two of the fifth Test at The SCG in Sydney on January 4, 2025. Photo: AFP |
Beau Webster hit a gritty half-century on debut Saturday but Australia crumbled against an India side missing Jasprit Bumrah to be all out for 181 at tea on day two of the decisive fifth Test, trailing by four runs.
The hosts' task in the second session should have been easier with Bumrah off the field and seen leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground, possibly heading for hospital scans.
But Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2-32) all stepped up to fill the void.
Australia lost Sam Konstas (23), Marnus Labuschagne (two), Travis Head (four) and Steve Smith (33) before lunch during fiery spells from Siraj and Bumrah.
In front of his home crowd, Smith looked set to become only the 15th batsman ever and fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs.
But he will have to wait for another day after Prasidh enticed an edge and KL Rahul took the catch in the slips.
While Webster dug in during the second session to top-score with 57, the supporting cast failed to fire, leaving the match finely poised.
Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw. India retain it with a win.
The home side resumed at 9-1 after a dramatic final-ball wicket on Friday when Bumrah -- captaining the side after Rohit Sharma was axed -- had Usman Khawaja caught in the slips.
That Australian body blow came two balls after Bumrah and Konstas had a tense exchange, with the pace spearhead staring down the teenager after the dismissal.
The 19-year-old Konstas padded up again on seven with new partner Labuschagne and got off the mark with two off the first ball from Siraj.
But Labuschagne didn't last with a menacing Bumrah again the destroyer, enticing the faintest outside edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
A fearless Konstas slammed his nemesis Bumrah to the boundary to signal an attacking intent, then produced an audacious reverse ramp shot for another four.
But the teenager overplayed his hand and fell to a Siraj outswinger, attempting a drive that flew to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully.
Head hit a four but Siraj pounced again in the same over with another gem of a delivery that took an edge to Rahul at slip, leaving Australia tottering at 39-4.
Smith and Webster, who was in the team for the dropped Mitchell Marsh, set about rebuilding the innings before Prasidh dealt them another setback when he removed the veteran just before lunch.
Prasidh, playing his first match of the series in place of the injured Akash Deep, got another breakthrough soon after their return, bowling Alex Carey.
India then took 4-3, with Reddy at the forefront, before Siraj bowled Scott Boland to end the innings.
- AFP, Sydney
HISTORIC! BRUMRAL BREAKS BEDI'S RECORD
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| IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah celebrates Marnus Labuschange's wicket -- his 32nd wicket of the series. Photograph: BCCI/X |
Jasprit Bumrah etched another record to his name as he created history, picking up the most wickets by an Indian bowler in an away Test series.
The fast bowler continued his stellar run with the ball in Australia as he overtook spin great Bishan Singh Bedi's all-time record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in an away Test series.
Bumrah dismissed Marnus Labuschagne caught behind to take his wickets tally to 32 in the series before he went off the field for precautionary scans after feeling some discomfort in the post-lunch session.
The India captain has been the standout performer with the ball in the series, claiming 32 wickets at a phenomenal average of 13, including three five-wicket.
This is the most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in a series away from home. The previous record belonged to Bedi, who took 31 wickets in five Tests at an average of 23 in the 1977-1978 series in Australia.
In that same series, another spin legend Bhagwat Chandrasekhar picked up 28 wickets averaging 28 as Australia defeated India 3-2 in a thrilling series.
Subhas Gupte had bagged 27 wickets during India's tour of West Indies in 1952-1953.
Kapil Dev held the previous record for the most wickets by an Indian pacer away from home when he picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25 during the tour of Australia in 1991-1992.
- REDIFF CRICKET
SOURCES: TEOFIMO LOPEZ, SUBRIEL MATIAS
Teofimo Lopez and Subriel Matias are finalizing a deal for a March 15 fight for Lopez's WBO junior welterweight title, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The 140-pound title fight -- Lopez's third defense -- will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ PPV. There's no location set but the bout will take place in the U.S.
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) is ESPN's No. 1 junior welterweight. The former undisputed lightweight champion is coming off a June decision victory over Canadian-level fighter Steve Claggett. Before that, Lopez struggled in a decision win over Jamaine Ortiz in February.
The 27-year-old Brooklyn, New York, native won the title in dominant fashion from Josh Taylor in June 2023. Lopez's best win came in October 2020 when he outpointed future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko for the lightweight championship.
Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) is ESPN's No. 8 boxer at 140 pounds. He lost his IBF junior welterweight title to Liam Paro in June in a major upset in Puerto Rico, where he was born and still resides.
The 32-year-old volume puncher is one of the sport's top action fighters. Matias rebounded from his second loss with a second-round TKO of career opponent Roberto Ramirez in November. Matias avenged his previous loss with a ninth-round TKO of Petros Ananyan in January 2022.
Matias won the IBF title with a fifth-round TKO of Jeremias Ponce in February 2023 and stopped Shohjahon Ergashev in Round 5 later that year in his lone successful defense.
- Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
JIMMY BUTTLER'S SUSPENSION AND POSSIBLE TRADE: WHAT WE KNOW AND DON'T KNOW
Jimmy Butler's six-season tenure with the Miami Heat appears to be nearing its end. Butler, who led Miami to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, was suspended by the team Friday for "conduct detrimental to the team," one day after indicating to the Heat that he would like to be traded.
Butler, who arrived at training camp this season with a declaration of "no shenanigans," had scored only 18 points combined in the past two games after sitting out the previous five because of an illness. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Dec. 10 that the Heat were listening to offers on Butler and then on Dec. 25 that Butler preferred a trade out of Miami.
The situation escalated to a point that after Thursday's loss to the Indiana Pacers, Butler said he wanted to find his joy again on the court. When asked if he could do that in Miami, he answered "probably not."
ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Brian Windhorst look at how the situation between the six-time All-Star and the franchise he has played for since 2019 got to this point, why a trade might not be as easy as it seems and what Butler could bring to a contender.
Butler's tactics to force Miami's hand and reverse its stance have appeared to work in the short term. The Heat didn't fully articulate all the components of what they felt was his "conduct detrimental" that led to the suspension, but Butler clearly wanted to be traded and took measures to get the Heat to come to the same conclusion. His lackluster play the past two games after sitting out five because an illness are probably on the list. In the short term, this play by Butler will cost him $2.35 million in salary but he could eventually win some or all of it back through a planned players' union grievance. -- Windhorst
How have Riley and the Heat handled similar situations in the past?
Riley has never been afraid to say no to star players or walk away from them when he doesn't want to pay them. Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade all left to sign elsewhere at various points. He traded Shaquille O'Neal and Shawn Marion, among others, when he wanted to pivot the franchise. Now Butler will be on that list. Riley has always been able to acquire major talents, and that reputation has always emboldened him to play hardball. -- Windhorst
This isn't the first time Butler's tenure with a team has ended poorly. What happened in Chicago, Minnesota and Philadelphia?
Each of those situations were different. Chicago refused to give Butler a max contract and traded him to Minnesota for a package of young players and draft picks.
The Minnesota situation was very similar to this one: Butler was unhappy with his contract and requested a trade. But there was one massive difference: Butler had just turned 29, not 35. He eventually was sent to the 76ers for Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless and a second-round pick.
Then, after one season in Philadelphia, the 76ers essentially chose to pay a combination of Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson and Al Horford over Butler and sent him to Miami in a sign-and-trade during the summer of 2019. -- Bontemps
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| The Miami Heat suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for "multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team." After scoring nine points in a loss to the Pacers on Thursday, Butler said he wanted "his joy back" and was unlikely to find it in Miami. Lynne Sladky/AP Photo |
Can the 7-game suspension be extended? Have previous players been suspended this long for similar standoffs?
The suspension includes Saturday's home game against the Utah Jazz and the upcoming six-game trip. It's clear Riley is sending a message that he does not want Butler around the team right now. The unknown is what happens when the suspension ends ahead of Miami's Jan. 19 home game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Unless Butler is considered to violate the conduct detrimental policy in his contract from the time the suspension starts, Miami cannot extend the suspension to include more games. Because the suspension is by the team and not the NBA, the Heat will not receive luxury tax savings.
Butler is not the only player in the past three seasons to be suspended by his team. In November 2022, the Brooklyn Nets suspended guard Kyrie Irving eight games for being "unfit to be associated" with the team after the guard failed to say whether he held antisemitic beliefs. -- Marks
How much will Butler be fined and can a grievance be filed?
Butler is being fined $336,543 for each of the seven games missed. The amount equals 1/145 of his $48.8 million salary, totaling around $2.4 million. Butler has 30 days to file a grievance, and the amount fined will sit in an escrow account until the situation is resolved. The grievance process could take up to a year. The NBA Players Association issued a statement late Friday that the suspension was excessive and inappropriate.
Which teams could actually trade for him?
Butler asking to be traded and the Heat now listening to offers does not change the challenges of finding the former All-Star a new home. The combination of Butler's $48.8 million salary this season and nearly a third of teams not allowed to take back more salary in a trade makes any potential deal complicated.
Three out of the four teams on Butler's preferred list -- the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns -- would need to trade a quarter of their roster. The Suns would need to have Bradley Beal waive his no-trade clause. Sources told ESPN, that the Heat have no desire to take back the $110 million owed to Beal and that Phoenix would need to find a third team. The Warriors and Mavericks probably would need to find a third or fourth team to reroute some of the contracts sent out.
The Heat also are not allowed to take back more salary because they are an apron team. -- Marks
Could Butler help a contender this season and in the future (if he were to re-sign with that team)?
That depends on how much Butler benefits from rediscovering the joy in basketball with another team. Butler's 17.6 scoring average is his lowest since 2013-14, the season before he won Most Improved Player and was voted an All-Star for the first time, but there's reason to believe Butler has more to give elsewhere.
Butler's 21% usage rate is down substantially from last season's 24%. At the same time, Butler is scoring more efficiently. His .648 true shooting percentage would be the best of his NBA career, narrowly ahead of 2023-24. And Butler's 58% 2-point shooting is easily a career high, suggesting his scoring downturn is more about being selective than an inability to create shots.
Not only do Butler's peripheral stats remain strong, we have ample evidence of "Playoff Jimmy" playing his best when the stakes are the highest. During Butler's four playoff runs in Miami -- before he sat out the Heat's 2024 first-round loss to the Boston Celtics because of an MCL sprain -- he led the NBA with 12.4 wins by my WARP (wins above replacement player) metric over that span.
During the regular season, Butler was just sixth in total WARP during the corresponding seasons. He produced 3.7 more WARP in the playoffs than we'd expect based on his regular-season performance. Only Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was a greater playoff overperformer than Butler from 2020 through 2023.
At some point, Butler's age (35) will undoubtedly take a toll, explaining Miami's reluctance to offer him a max extension. Over the next three seasons, my SCHOENE projection system forecasts Butler to decline by about three wins in terms of regular-season value based on the development of similar players at the same age. Though Butler's 2025-26 projection still puts him in the NBA's top 20 players, by 2027-28 that forecast drops to 45th. -- Kevin Pelton
What kind of extension is Butler looking for? What's the most likely outcome ahead of the trade deadline?
Because of the league's Over-38 rule, the maximum extension Miami could sign Butler is for two years, $112.6 million. That would replace his $52.4 million player option for next season with a new salary starting at $54.1 million. The second year would pay Butler $58.5 million when he is 37.
If Butler were traded, he would be eligible to sign a two-year, $111 million extension with his new team.
A trade demand by Butler and now suspension does not mean the Heat are mandated to make a trade. If Miami does not receive an offer of its liking, it can either let Butler walk in free agency if he declines his player option -- or work together on a trade.
Butler, who will turn 36 in September, does not fit the roster timeline of the Brooklyn Nets, the only team that projects to have more than $40 million in cap space. -- Marks
Are we sure he'll be traded at all?
No. The way things played out with Paul George last season with the LA Clippers is a blueprint for how this situation could unwind over the next few months.
The longstanding paradigm in the NBA in these situations is that the team with a disgruntled player like Butler "has to get something" and trade him somewhere. But that was in a previous financial reality in which the league existed.
Under this far more restrictive collective bargaining agreement, the NBA is operating in what is much closer to a hard cap environment than it used to. So if the process of getting something in a deal requires a team to take back negative long-term salary, that can cause real problems for a club trying to pivot past such a deal in the future. That's doubly true for the Heat, who remain one of the league's most desirable destinations for players and want to have as much flexibility to acquire more high-end talent in the future.
That's one of several reasons why the Heat, according to sources, are reluctant to take back long-term money in a Butler trade. Coupled with the trade restrictions that have made it hard for any big salaries to be moved across the league, sources are far from convinced a deal is guaranteed to happen in the next month. -- Bontemps
- ESPN
Friday, 3 January 2025
LEWIS HAMILTON 'EXCITED FOR YEAR AHEAD' AFTER FERRARI SWITCH
Lewis Hamilton “could not be more excited for the year ahead” as the seven-time world champion prepares for his first F1 season with Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton said on Friday he “could not be more excited for the year ahead” as the seven-times world champion prepares for his first Formula One season with Ferrari.
Hamilton has joined the Italian giants from Mercedes, with whom he won six of his drivers’ world titles.
But the lure of racing for Ferrari, arguably the most celebrated team in Grand Prix history, proved too strong, with Hamilton hoping his move inspires others to seize new opportunities.
I could not be more excited for the year ahead,” Lewis Hamilton wrote on LinkedIn.
Moving to Scuderia Ferrari, there’s a lot to reflect on.
#NEWJOB
The Englishman, who turns 40 on Tuesday, added: “To anyone considering their next move in 2025: embrace the change. Whether you’re switching industries, learning a new skill, or even just taking on new challenges, remember that reinvention is powerful. Your next opportunity is always within reach.
“Here’s to 2025 – a year of embracing new opportunities, staying hungry, and driving forward with purpose. Let’s make it one to remember. Andiamo (Let’s go).”
Lewis Hamilton ended his post with the hashtag, “new job”, alongside a picture of him karting in a red crash helmet as a child.
Hamilton, who made his name in Formula One with McLaren, has joined Ferrari after 12 seasons at Mercedes and his first race for his new team will be the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.
He is due to unveil his 2025 car at Ferrari’s season launch alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc on February 19 at the team’s Maranello headquarters in northern Italy, with testing in Bahrain the following week.
Lewis Hamilton ended his two-and-a-half year winless streak at the British Grand Prix in July, but finished only seventh in the 2024 world championship, a mammoth 214 points behind title-winner Max Verstappen.
Hamilton joins a Ferrari side that were narrowly beaten to the constructors’ title by McLaren last year.
He is bidding to win an outright record eighth world title – Hamilton shares the current record of seven with Michael Schumacher – and secure Ferrari their first championship in nearly two decades.
- Garrin Lambley
HARAMBE.STARS ARRIVE IN ZANZIBAR AHEAD OF MAPINDUZI CUP SHOWDOWN
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| ©FKF |
Harambee Stars kick-off their campaign against Burkina Faso on Saturday.
The Kenya national football team, Harambee Stars, has touched down on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, in anticipation of the inaugural Mapinduzi Cup, which kicks off on Friday.
The team, under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Francis Kimanzi, has been gearing up for the tournament with an eye on both glory and preparation for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in February.
Stars began their journey with a 40-man provisional squad in camp in Nairobi. Following intense preparations, Coach Kimanzi has finalized a 24-man squad, which he believes is ready to bring home the title.
The tournament offers a golden opportunity for Kimanzi to fine-tune his strategies and find the right balance for his "new-look" team.
The team is set to kick off their campaign on Saturday with a high-stakes match against Burkina Faso.
The second group stage match will pit them against Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Stars on Tuesday, followed by a concluding group game against hosts Zanzibar on Friday, January 12.
The format of the tournament will see the top two teams from the group stage advance to the final, scheduled for Monday, January 16.
The competition is not only a chance for silverware but also a critical test ahead of CHAN.
The 24-man squad
Goalkeepers: Byrne Odhiambo, Faruk Shikalo, Sepstanious Wekesa.
Defenders: Sylvester Owino, Hanif Wesonga, Alphonce Omija, Brian Okoth, Abud Omar, Siraj Mohammed, Ronney Onyango, Daniel Sakari.
Midfielders: Michael Mutinda, Chrispine Erambo, Brian Musa, Kelly Madada, Austine Odhiambo, Kenneth Muguna, Ben Stanley Omondi, Mohammed Bajaber, Boniface Muchiri, Darius Msagah, James Kinyanjui.
Forwards: Moses Shumah, Ryan Ogam.
- Stephen Awino
BARCELONA GET INJURY BOOST AS LAMINE YAMAL RETURNS TO TRAINING
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal returned to light training on Thursday ahead of next week's Spanish Supercopa in Saudi Arabia.
The 17-year-old was ruled out for up to four weeks with an ankle injury on Dec. 16 and subsequently missed Barça's 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid before the winter break in Spain.
Yamal was also rated as a major doubt for the Supercopa, which kicks off next Wednesday when Barça meet Athletic Club in Jeddah in the semifinal.
However, he has returned earlier than planned, taking part in Thursday's training session ahead of Barça's Copa del Rey fixture against fourth-tier Barbastro on Saturday.
That game will come too soon for Yamal but he may come into contention for the Supercopa, which could feature a potential Clásico final should Barça and Real Madrid both win their semifinals.
Madrid meet Mallorca in their semifinal on Jan. 9, with the final then scheduled for Jan. 12. All three games will be played in Jeddah.
Yamal, who helped Spain win the European Championship last summer, has been one of Barça's standout players since Hansi Flick took charge at the start of the campaign.
In 21 appearances in all competitions, the winger has scored six goals and set up 11 more as part of a productive attack alongside Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.
Meanwhile, there are still doubts whether the fourth component of that frontline, Dani Olmo, will play for the club again this season.
LaLiga have unregistered Olmo and striker Pau Víctor after Barça failed to meet a Dec. 31 deadline to extend their registrations for the second half of the campaign.
The league say Barça did not provide sufficient guarantees they could comply with financial fair play rules to be able to register the duo.
Barça insist the sale of VIP boxes at Spotify Camp Nou, which is currently being redeveloped, will provide enough revenue to be able to register them.
Developments are expected on Friday, with a source telling ESPN Barça will offer a full explanation of the situation.
- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens
USA JUNIOR SQUASH TEAM | BRITISH JUNIOR OPEN 2025 | BIRMINGHAM, UK
US Jr Squash Team- comprising of the best 58 outstanding junior players (selected from a pool of 2200 US junior players) who will be participating in the British Junior Open ‘25 (The World Cup of Junior Squash) in Birmingham 🏴.
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