Barcelona: Flick changes Raphinha recovery plan after 58-day setback

Hansi Flick is reportedly readying a much cautious instrumentality for Raphinha aft the Barcelona coach's determination to accelerate the Brazilian's betterment from a akin wounded past play ended with a setback and 58 days connected the sidelines.

Raphinha returned aboriginal from planetary work aft suffering muscular swelling successful his close thigh during Brazil's triumph implicit Australia connected Tuesday.

The archetypal indications person offered Barcelona immoderate encouragement, with the occupation not presently thought to beryllium serious, and the 29-year-old is owed to acquisition further tests connected Friday to find the grade of the injury.

That does not needfully mean Raphinha volition beryllium rushed backmost for Barca's archetypal crippled aft the planetary interruption against Getafe connected October 10.

According to Marca, Flick intends to instrumentality a antithetic attack this clip aft what happened erstwhile the aforesaid subordinate suffered a thigh wounded past season.

Flick wants to debar repetition of 58-day Raphinha setback

Raphinha was injured portion representing Brazil successful September 2025, but his betterment was subsequently accelerated arsenic Barcelona attempted to bring him backmost into the team.

The determination backfired.

The guardant suffered different muscular occupation successful the aforesaid close thigh and yet spent 58 days retired of action, missing 13 matches for nine and state earlier returning successful November.

That acquisition is present influencing Barcelona's handling of his latest problem.

Even if Raphinha receives affirmative quality from his examinations and is technically capable to instrumentality against Getafe, Marca reports that Flick does not mean to instrumentality unnecessary risks with his starring scorer.

The German has peculiar crushed to beryllium cautious fixed Raphinha's value since the commencement of the 2026-27 season.

Used predominantly successful a cardinal attacking relation alternatively than his much acquainted presumption from the left, the Brazil planetary has scored 14 goals and provided 3 assists successful lone 8 appearances.

His adaptation has helped Barcelona marque a cleanable commencement to their La Liga run and has provided Flick with a solution successful a presumption that caused uncertainty during the summer.

Raphinha's latest setback truthful comes astatine an awkward moment, but the acquisition of past play appears to person changed Barcelona's priorities.

Getting him backmost for the earliest imaginable lucifer is nary longer needfully the objective.

Barcelona look bigger Raphinha tests aft Getafe

The timing of Barcelona's October docket helps explicate wherefore Flick tin spend to beryllium patient.

Getafe sojourn Camp Nou connected October 10 earlier Barca question to Istanbul to look Galatasaray successful the Champions League 3 days later.

A travel to Real Betis follows connected October 17 earlier 2 of the biggest fixtures of Barcelona's autumn get wrong 5 days: Paris Saint-Germain distant connected October 20 and Real Madrid astatine Camp Nou connected October 25. Barcelona themselves person described October arsenic a demanding period crossed La Liga and Europe.

The precedence is truthful not simply having Raphinha disposable for Getafe, but ensuring that helium tin stay disposable erstwhile that series intensifies.

Flick besides has alternatives if the Brazilian is held back.

Gabriel Jesus and Hamza Abdelkarim are earthy options done the middle, portion Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal tin each connection antithetic solutions crossed Barcelona's attack.

None, however, has replicated Raphinha's bonzer scoring output during the opening weeks of the season.

That makes the determination facing Flick unusual. Barcelona's dependence connected their 14-goal guardant mightiness usually promote the manager to bring him backmost arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

After losing him for 58 days pursuing a akin determination past season, his value present provides the strongest statement for doing precisely the opposite.