Barcelona forward Raphinha sustains five-week hamstring injury on Brazil duty
Barcelona forward Raphinha faces five weeks out with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty, ruling him out of crucial upcoming fixtures against Atletico Madrid.
The 29-year-old suffered the knock during the first half of Brazil’s 2-1 friendly defeat to France in Massachusetts on Thursday.
Tests conducted by the national team’s medical staff on Friday confirmed damage to his right hamstring.
He will now return to Catalonia for treatment and is not expected to feature again until May.
Crucial Champions League absence
The recovery timeline means the prolific attacker will miss a demanding run of domestic and European fixtures.
Hansi Flick’s side face domestic rivals Atletico Madrid three times over the coming weeks.
They travel to the Metropolitano next Saturday looking to protect their four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
The Spanish giants will then clash again over two legs in the Champions League quarter-finals on 8 and 14 April.
Recurring fitness issues
Should the Blaugrana progress, their key forward would likely also miss the semi-final first leg against either Arsenal or Sporting CP.
This latest setback represents the third time this season the South American has injured his right hamstring.
He previously missed 13 matches between September and November, followed by a further three-game absence across January and February.
His injury deals a significant blow to Barcelona, having contributed an impressive 19 goals in 31 appearances this term.
Flick’s attacking alternatives
Marcus Rashford is the most likely candidate to benefit from the vacancy on the left side of the attack.
However, the German manager possesses several other versatile options to fill the void.
Dani Olmo, Fermín López, and Ferran Torres all boast experience operating in wide areas.
João Cancelo and Roony Bardghji could also be deployed in advanced roles if required.
