Barcelona’s fears over Raphinha’s involvement with Brazil during the international break have turned into a painful reality after the forward suffered muscular discomfort during the Selecao’s friendly against Australia.
Raphinha was forced to leave the pitch at the start of the second half after complaining of discomfort in his right thigh, with the severity of the problem yet to be determined.
According to a statement from the Brazilian Football Confederation, the Barcelona star reported “discomfort in his right thigh” before being replaced by Real Madrid forward Endrick at the beginning of the second half.
The injury scare comes at a particularly sensitive time for Barcelona, who had been concerned about Raphinha’s physical condition ahead of the international break.
The 29-year-old had only just been handed Brazil’s iconic No.10 shirt following Neymar Jr’s retirement from international football. The CBF confirmed Raphinha as the new holder of the legendary number for Brazil’s exhibition fixtures in Oceania and Asia.
Raphinha appeared to be enjoying another excellent international performance before his early departure. He completed the first half and scored Brazil’s second goal from the penalty spot in the 45th minute to make it 2-2.
Carlo Ancelotti subsequently decided not to risk the Barcelona forward, sending Endrick onto the pitch for the second half.
There is currently no definitive diagnosis regarding the injury or an indication of how long Raphinha could be unavailable.
Brazilian outlet Globo described the problem as minor discomfort in the right thigh, but further medical examinations will be required before the full extent of the issue becomes clear.
Barcelona had reportedly been monitoring Raphinha closely before the international break because of his outstanding form and the demanding schedule awaiting him with Brazil.
According to Marca, the club was particularly concerned about the lengthy trip involving fixtures in Australia and India, as well as the travelling and physical demands associated with international duty.
Those concerns were also influenced by Raphinha’s previous injury history with Brazil.
Last March, the Barcelona forward suffered a muscular problem during Brazil’s match against France. He was subsequently released from the national team camp and returned to Barcelona, where he spent around five weeks on the sidelines.
Raphinha also suffered an injury to the back of his right thigh during Brazil’s World Cup match against Haiti. The problem forced him to miss two international matches, while Globo’s GE reported at the time that examinations had confirmed a muscular injury in his right thigh.
The recurrence of problems in the same area makes Barcelona particularly cautious about the latest setback.
The timing is also unfortunate given Raphinha’s remarkable start to the season.
The Brazilian had reportedly scored 14 goals in his first eight official appearances for Barcelona before the international break, establishing himself as one of the most influential players in Hansi Flick’s side.
His transformation into a more central attacking role has been particularly significant, with Raphinha operating more like a forward than the traditional winger role he occupied earlier in his Barcelona career.
He had scored 12 goals in Barcelona’s opening seven La Liga matches, contributing to what was being described as the best goalscoring start of his career.
Flick had already admitted before the international break that he was concerned whenever his Barcelona players left for international duty.
The German coach acknowledged that he had to trust the national teams’ technical staff and remain positive despite the risks involved.
Barcelona must now wait for the results of Raphinha’s medical examinations to determine whether the latest problem is simply temporary discomfort or another muscular injury that could threaten his return after the international break.
For a player enjoying such an exceptional start to the campaign, the Catalan club will be hoping the latest scare proves to be nothing more than a minor setback.
