Overview
- Raphinha was taken off at half-time of Brazil’s friendly with Australia after feeling right-thigh pain, and early scans carried out by the Brazilian federation identified a small muscle oedema.
- The CBF confirmed he will miss Brazil’s friendly with India on October 3 and released him to Barcelona as a precaution so the club can run further examinations and manage his rehab.
- Barcelona medical staff plan to assess him at the Ciutat Esportiva once he lands and will decide whether to rest him for upcoming fixtures such as the LaLiga trip to Getafe and matches against PSG and Real Madrid.
- The case has increased tension between Barcelona and Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, with reports saying the club are frustrated by his usage of Raphinha during the international window and by limited post-match communication.
- Raphinha’s recent history of right-thigh and hamstring problems makes Barcelona likely to take a conservative approach, and Hansi Flick is studying alternatives such as Gabriel Jesus, Dani Olmo or Hamza Abdelkarim if the forward is unavailable.