Raphinha, Barcelona’s captain and arguably one of their most in-form players right now alongside Lamine Yamal, is already on his way back to Catalonia. The Blaugrana faithful had a significant injury scare on their hands after he was pulled from Brazil’s friendly against Australia earlier this week.
Thigh Discomfort Sends Raphinha Home Early
The 29-year-old winger was starting for Brazil when he was taken off at half-time. The quick word? Muscular discomfort in his thigh. While it definitely sounded alarming at first, the Brazilian national team wasted no time, releasing him from the camp to recover. Here’s the good news, though: the issue isn’t looking like a major one.
Apparently, Raphinha himself told Barcelona from the jump that he didn’t think the problem was serious. He just wanted to get those tests done to confirm everything. Getting back from Australia means a seriously long flight, so he couldn’t get those medical checks done today. The current plan is for him to get some rest on Thursday, then hit the Joan Gamper Sports City for tests with the club’s medical team on Friday. Barcelona’s message is clear: no reason to hit the panic button, no need to rush anything.
Why Barcelona Was Already on Edge (And Will Take Zero Risks)
Honestly, Barcelona was already holding its breath a bit with this international break. They’ve had their concerns in previous seasons whenever Raphinha got called up for Brazil duty. Those worries ramped up big time for this trip, especially with the sheer demand: we’re talking over 40,000 kilometers of travel to the other side of the world for three matches against Australia and India. That’s a brutal schedule for anyone.
As soon as the club heard about his discomfort, Barcelona requested he come back immediately. They wanted to avoid any more risks and get him examined right away. Since then, those initial worries have really eased up. There’s no major concern now because, at this stage, this problem is not seen as serious. In fact, unless something totally unexpected pops up, Raphinha should be ready to roll for the Getafe match right after this international break wraps up.
Despite the positive outlook, don’t expect Barcelona to take any chances. They’ve got a brutal run of fixtures coming up, including big clashes against Galatasaray, PSG, and of course, the Clasico against Real Madrid. Expect them to be super careful with their captain.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply