Raphinha suffers right-thigh discomfort in Brazil match, raising fresh Barcelona concern

Barcelona are waiting for medical tests on Raphinha after the Brazil captain was forced off with discomfort in his right thigh during the match against Australia.

The forward was replaced by Endrick at the start of the second half after reporting the problem. The Brazilian Football Confederation said he had left the pitch because of “discomfort in the right thigh”, but gave no further details about the nature or seriousness of the issue.

Raphinha had completed an outstanding first half before his withdrawal, scoring Brazil’s second goal from the penalty spot in the 45th minute to make the score 2-2.

His injury comes at a particularly concerning time for Barcelona, who had already been monitoring his fitness closely before the current international break.

Marca reported several days ago that the Catalan club had been paying special attention to Raphinha because of his exceptional form this season and the demanding schedule attached to his Brazil duty. The international trip includes matches in Australia and India, as well as lengthy periods of travel and the accompanying physical strain.

The newspaper also said Raphinha had previously returned from international breaks with fitness problems, increasing Barcelona’s concern over his latest call-up.

Those fears were based on recent history. Brazilian reports said the winger had suffered injuries during each of his two previous international selections.

In March, Raphinha sustained a muscular injury during Brazil’s match against France. He left the squad and returned to Barcelona, subsequently missing five weeks of action.

During the last World Cup, he suffered an injury to the back of his right thigh in Brazil’s game against Haiti and missed the national team’s next two matches. GE, the Globo-owned website, reported at the time that tests had confirmed a muscular injury in the right thigh and noted that he had experienced several previous problems in the same area.

No diagnosis yet

There is currently no final assessment of Raphinha’s condition or indication of how long he could be unavailable. Globo described the latest issue as minor discomfort in his right thigh.

The timing is especially significant because Raphinha has made a remarkable start to the campaign. Reports before the international break said he had scored 14 goals in his first eight appearances for Barcelona, making him one of the team’s most influential players.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick admitted before the break that he worries whenever his players leave the club to join their national teams. He said he tried to approach the situation positively and trust the coaching and medical staff of the various countries.

Barcelona will now await the results of Raphinha’s examination to establish whether the problem is temporary discomfort or another muscular injury that could affect his return after the international break.

The Brazilian has been converted from a winger into a centre-forward this season and has produced the most prolific opening to a campaign in Barcelona’s history after eight competitive matches. His 14 goals include 12 in the first seven rounds of La Liga.