Barcelona cautiously optimistic about key superstar’s return against Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

The call for presidential elections at FC Barcelona has dominated the club’s agenda this Monday, but activity has not stopped inside the dressing room, despite Hansi Flick’s players having a day off.

After all, there is a huge Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg encounter against Atletico Madrid coming up on Thursday night at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

One of the major doubts for Barcelona heading into the game surrounds the availability of key winger Raphinha, who has missed the last two matches due to muscular overload.

Cautious optimism surrounding Raphinha

Now, according to MARCA, there is cautious optimism within Barcelona regarding Raphinha’s condition and potential availability to face Atletico Madrid.

The initial plan is for the Brazilian international to rejoin the group tomorrow and potentially travel to Madrid.

Barcelona reported on February 2 that Raphinha was suffering from an overload in the adductor of his right leg. The former Leeds United star missed the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Albacete and the La Liga fixture against Mallorca due to this issue.

Raphinha could return to training tomorrow. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

The estimated recovery time communicated by the club was one week, and all indications suggest that timeframe will be met.

The idea being worked on within the Barcelona dressing room is for the winger to return to training tomorrow with the rest of the squad, but it will depend on how the player feels.

However, there is optimism surrounding the situation, so much so that the coaching staff is planning for Raphinha to be included in the squad for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal.

Concerns exist

It will be Raphinha himself who sets the pace of his return based on how he feels, but there is a clear consensus that his comeback will not be forced, despite his importance to the team.

Raphinha has already suffered several injuries this season, and no one wants to risk further setbacks. He has already missed 12 matches for Barcelona this campaign.

Manager Hansi Flick even acknowledged a few days ago that he is concerned about the Brazilian’s injury history. As such, no risks will be taken and he will not be rushed back.