Barcelona dealt major blow as key winger ruled out of El Clasico vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been dealt a huge blow as they are set to be without influential winger Raphinha for Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid, according to Jijantes FC.

The 28-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action for a month now, due to a hamstring injury he picked up during the game against Real Oviedo.

Since then, he has gone on to miss five games in all competitions, including the UCL clash against PSG, and his absence has been severely felt.

However, after he resumed normal training earlier this week, everything suggested that he would be receiving the green light from the medical department for the trip to the Spanish capital.

But reports emerged claiming that Raphinha had not trained with the squad this morning. He left the Ciutat Esportiva even before his teammates stepped out on the pitch for the sessions, leading to doubts over his availability.

Raphinha out of El Clasico. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Confirming those fears, Jijantes claims that the key winger and one of the club captains started feeling unwell since last evening and was unable to complete the sessions on Thursday either.

And having not trained with the group today as well, Raphinha has been ruled out of the Clasico and will not be in the squad that faces Real Madrid on Sunday.

This is definitely a big blow for Barcelona, considering how important a player Raphinha is for Hansi Flick and the team.

It is not all bad news for Barça, though, as Frenkie de Jong has recovered from gastroenteritis and is training normally again. Moreover, Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde are expected to be available for Sunday’s big game as well.