FC Barcelona confirmed on Monday that forward Raphinha has sustained an overload in the adductor of his right leg, ruling him out for approximately one week and forcing him to miss Tuesday’s crucial Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Albacete.
The 29-year-old Brazilian international was substituted at halftime during Barcelona’s 3-1 La Liga victory over Elche this past weekend as a pre-planned precaution.
His absence from Monday’s training session at the Joan Gamper Training Ground raised immediate concerns before the club issued its official medical statement.
According to the club, the player “will be out as a precaution for the match against Albacete and the recovery period will be one week”.
The timing of the injury represents a significant setback for manager Hansi Flick, who openly expressed his frustration during a press conference. “To be honest I’m not happy with this, really, because he’s a very important player,” Flick stated.
He emphasized the need for adjustments, adding, “We have to see what we have to change and also what he has to change. We’ll speak about that in the next days because it’s important. This is the important phase in the season, we need every player to be able to play and when he’s out, it’s not good”.
Raphinha’s injury adds to Barcelona’s existing absentee list, which includes Andreas Christensen, Pedri, and Gavi. While the one-week timeline suggests a potential return for a pivotal La Liga clash against Girona on February 16, he is almost certain to miss the upcoming league match against Mallorca this weekend.
This season has been a tale of stellar performance marred by physical setbacks for Raphinha.
In 22 appearances across all competitions, he has scored 13 goals and become what the club describes as “a key piece” in Flick’s attacking schemes, contributing relentless work rate in pressing and offensive movement.
His influence is underscored by the team’s remarkable record of zero losses in matches he has started. However, this is not his first muscular issue this campaign, having previously missed two months with a hamstring injury, a history that likely informs the club’s cautious approach now.
The immediate challenge falls to Flick to reorganize his attack for the trip to face Albacete, a second-division side that famously eliminated Real Madrid in the previous round.
With titles on the line in both domestic competitions, Barcelona will be hoping their in-form winger’s absence is brief and that the necessary changes to his regimen, hinted at by his manager, can prevent further disruptions during the season’s decisive phase.