Injured Barcelona captain’s great gesture ahead of El Clasico vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Even though it seemed like Raphinha would return for FC Barcelona’s heavyweight clash against Real Madrid, the Brazilian international has been ruled out of the tie.

The 28-year-old winger, one of the club captains, has been out for a month due to a hamstring injury. But he resumed training with the group this week. However, with the discomfort not easing up, it was confirmed that he will miss the Clasico at the Bernabeu.

A captain’s guesture

According to SPORT, despite his absence being confirmed, Raphinha visited Barcelona’s Ciutat Esportiva this morning to greet his teammates and show his support ahead of El Clasico.

Despite not being in his best spirits after being ruled out of the trip to the Bernabeu, the Brazilian acted like a true captain, showing up on an important day for the team.

What he did on Saturday was a true captain’s gesture. Although he was under no obligation to attend, he chose to visit the facilities to wish good luck to those travelling.

Raphinha, a true captain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Small gestures like this, which might seem insignificant from the outside, carry great weight within the Barcelona squad, where the Brazilian is highly respected and regarded as a genuine leader.

When will Raphinha return?

As for his condition, both Raphinha and Barcelona have agreed not to take risks and to proceed with caution.

There is still no exact timeline or confirmed return date, although all indications suggest he will be back after the international break next month.

Within the club, there is also a sense that his previous return was slightly rushed and should have been handled more gradually.

The player pushed himself to shorten recovery time in order to help the team and be available for the Clasico, but he will now have to support his teammates from home.