Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Tuesday that FC Barcelona and the Brazilian Football Confederation have coordinated a plan to manage Raphinha’s playing time during friendlies in Japan and Singapore.
- Raphinha was named to Brazil’s squad for matches on 14 and 17 November and is expected to have his minutes measured rather than play full games.
- The club’s caution follows three muscle problems linked to international duty in 2026, most recently a right-thigh muscular oedema detected after a September friendly with Australia.
- Carlo Ancelotti and Raphinha have publicly said they are managing minutes carefully and Raphinha skipped Brazil’s first training session in Singapore as part of a preventive approach.
- Barcelona will monitor how he responds to the internationals before reintegrating him for fixtures such as Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, since muscular oedema is treated conservatively because it can signal a risk of relapse.