Raphinha underwent ear surgery early to stay available for Brazil

Raphinha had surgery to remove a cyst from his ear soon after Barcelona’s clasico against Real Madrid, bringing forward the procedure so he could answer Brazil’s call despite the club’s preference for him to wait until the current international break.

The Barcelona winger underwent the operation on 26 October after suffering a blow to his head earlier that month. The injury affected his left ear, which later became swollen and caused him severe pain. The protective bandage he has worn in recent matches covers the site of the surgery.

According to Marca, citing Brazilian reports, medication alone was not considered a sufficient solution. Globo Sport reported that the alternatives were repeated drainage of the accumulated fluid or an operation, with Raphinha choosing surgery to avoid missing Brazil’s upcoming friendlies.

Barcelona had wanted the procedure to take place during the international break, when the player could recover away from the demands of club football. Raphinha, however, was unwilling to risk missing Brazil’s final friendlies of 2026.

He missed some training while the wound healed but returned in time to play for Barcelona with the bandage still in place. The problem did not prevent him from making a significant attacking contribution after his return: he scored twice in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Alaves before adding two more goals against Aston Villa in the Champions League.

Ancelotti backs decision

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff are understood to value Raphinha’s decision to bring the operation forward. They believe it helped ensure he remained available for matches against Japan and Singapore, Brazil’s final friendlies of 2026.

Raphinha’s decision to join the squad has nevertheless caused anger in parts of the Catalan media, amid concerns that he could suffer another injury during the break. One commentator described his departure as a “robbery” and called for him to be stripped of the captaincy. Journalist David Sanchez also questioned the sense of selecting him for a third time given his physical condition and the potential risks involved.

Barcelona are particularly concerned by the journey involved. Raphinha is expected to travel about 22,000km in total with Brazil, raising fears he could return injured after recent fitness problems. The club has contacted the Brazilian Football Confederation to discuss his playing time and limit the strain caused by matches and travel.

Rodrigo Caetano, the Brazilian federation’s national teams coordinator, said the coaching staff were working with clubs to monitor players’ fitness.

“We have reports from the clubs, and we have covered the entire training period. We see that Ancelotti and his coaching staff are already monitoring the minutes played by all the players, as well as the fatigue and tiredness they are experiencing,” he said.

“He only indicated that this process should continue to maintain the best possible physical condition. For us, what matters is what we know about the player and our confidence in him. His commitment to the national team is extremely high.”

Raphinha is expected to retain Brazil’s captaincy for the friendlies on 14 November 2026 and 17 November 2026, with Marquinhos absent. The coaching staff are also considering changes to the captaincy and a rotation system.