Raphinha back in Barcelona: Barça await tests on his injury | OneFootball

Raphinha is already in Barcelona after returning early from Brazil’s training camp. The Barça forward left the Seleção camp after suffering swelling in his right thigh, a problem that kept him from playing the second half of the friendly against Australia.

The Brazilian began his long journey back from Brisbane, with a stopover in Dubai, before finally landing in Barcelona. His arrival had been scheduled for the early afternoon, although it ended up happening later.

The player and Barcelona kept a low profile during his arrival at El Prat Airport, avoiding exposure to the media.

Raphinha will undergo medical tests

The priority now is to find out the exact extent of the issue. Barcelona plan to carry out medical tests on him this Friday to determine whether the problem is limited to the swelling detected by Brazil’s doctors or whether there is a more serious muscle injury.

Within the club, there is some optimism and, for now, they believe it is not a serious issue.

Raphinha started in both friendlies played by Brazil during this international break. Against Australia, he once again wore the captain’s armband and played the entire first half, in which he also scored Brazil’s equaliser.

However, he did not return to the pitch after the break because of the discomfort in his right thigh.

The previous issue worrying Barcelona

Although the initial diagnosis does not necessarily point to a major injury, the area is drawing special attention because of Raphinha’s previous muscle problems.

The Brazilian has already suffered different physical issues in that same thigh over the past year, so Barcelona want to wait for the test results before setting a recovery timeline.

If the examinations confirm that there is only swelling, Hansi Flick will have to decide whether Raphinha is fit to return to competition immediately or whether it would be better to give him a few extra days of rest.

Getafe and Galatasaray on the horizon

The schedule also suggests the situation should be handled with caution. Barcelona will resume their LaLiga campaign with a match against Getafe, before facing an important European fixture a few days later.

The Blaugrana will travel to Istanbul to face Galatasaray on 13 October in their second Champions League match.

Before thinking about those games, Barça must wait for the final diagnosis. Friday’s tests will determine whether Raphinha can return to the pitch soon or needs to stop and recover.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.