Barcelona are waiting for medical results after Raphinha was forced off with right-thigh discomfort while playing for Brazil against Australia.
The Brazil captain left the field at the start of the second half, with head coach Carlo Ancelotti sending on Endrick in his place. The Brazilian Football Confederation said Raphinha had been withdrawn after feeling “discomfort in his right thigh”, but no further details about the injury or its severity have been released.
Raphinha had completed an outstanding first half before being replaced. He scored Brazil’s second goal from the penalty spot in the 45th minute, making the score 2-2.
His withdrawal is a concern for Barcelona, who were already worried about the forward’s physical condition before the international break. Raphinha has played a key role in the club’s exceptional start to the season, while his current international schedule includes matches in Australia and India, bringing long flights and additional physical demands.
Marca reported before the break that Barcelona were paying particular attention to Raphinha because of his performances this season and his previous record of returning from international duty with physical problems.
Reports in Brazil had also highlighted that he was injured during each of his previous two call-ups. In March, the Barcelona winger suffered a muscle injury during Brazil’s match against France, forcing him to leave the squad and return to Barcelona. He subsequently missed five weeks of action.
Raphinha also sustained an injury to the back of his right thigh during Brazil’s match against Haiti at the last World Cup. The problem ruled him out of two matches for his country.
Brazilian outlet GE, part of Globo, reported at the time that tests had confirmed a muscle injury in his right thigh. It also noted that Raphinha had experienced several previous problems in the same area.
There is no final diagnosis yet to indicate whether the latest issue will keep him out of action. Globo described it as minor discomfort in the right thigh, leaving Barcelona to wait for the results of further examinations.
The timing is particularly sensitive because Raphinha has made a remarkable start to the campaign. Reports before the international break said he had scored 14 goals in his first eight matches for Barcelona, including 12 in the opening seven rounds of La Liga.
He has been used as a centre-forward after previously operating mainly as a winger and has produced the best goalscoring start by a Barcelona player in the club’s history across the first eight competitive matches of a season.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick admitted before the break that he felt anxious whenever his players left the club to join their national teams. “I am worried every time the players leave, but I try to deal with it positively and trust the national-team coaching staff,” he said.
Barcelona will now wait to discover whether Raphinha’s problem is temporary discomfort or another muscle injury that could threaten his availability when the international break ends.
