Barcelona forward to miss Olympiacos clash as focus remains on El Clasico return | OneFootball

Barcelona will have to make do without Raphinha for their midweek UEFA Champions League clash against Olympiacos, journalist Helena Condis (h/t FCB World) has confirmed.

The Brazilian winger, who has been recovering from a muscle injury, is still not ready to return to full training and will instead continue his recovery plan with the clear goal of being fit for El Clasico.

Earlier today, we reported that both Raphinha and Ferran Torres had taken part in individual training sessions at the Ciutat Esportiva, raising doubts about their availability for Tuesday’s game.

While there remains cautious optimism that Ferran might feature in some capacity, the club has decided not to take any risks with Raphinha.

The focus is now firmly on ensuring that he returns at full strength for the meeting with Real Madrid later this month.

No rush… Just gradual return

Raphinha has already been out of action for almost four weeks, but his progress in recent days has been encouraging.

Raphinha will miss the Olympiacos match. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

The medical team is pleased with how his body has responded to the tailored recovery schedule.

In training, he has been working specifically on acceleration, changes of direction, and striking technique.

The Brazilian has looked sharp during these sessions, though he still lacks the match rhythm that comes only from competitive play.

Inside the dressing room, there is quiet optimism. The feeling is that Raphinha could make the squad list for El Clasico if his progress continues at the current rate.

However, Hansi Flick and his staff are not willing to rush anything. They are mindful and the last thing the team needs is a relapse with a packed fixture list ahead.

As such, Tuesday and Wednesday will be decisive in determining how close Raphinha is to rejoining full training.

For now, the medical team plans to assess his responses to increased workloads before giving the final green light.