Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is preparing to take no risks with Raphinha after the Brazil forward suffered a hamstring injury during the current international break.
The former Leeds player has been withdrawn from the Brazil squad and is due to return to Barcelona from Australia in the coming hours. He will undergo further examinations with the club’s medical staff to assess the extent of the pain in the back of his right thigh.
According to Marca, Flick does not want to rush Raphinha back into action. The German has not forgotten that he brought the player back into training too quickly last October, only for him to suffer a recurrence of an injury in the same area.
Flick later accepted responsibility for that setback, publicly acknowledging that he had underestimated the injury and mismanaged Raphinha’s return timetable. The relapse kept the Brazil international out for about a month, including for several matches and, notably, El Clasico.
The next meeting with Real Madrid is scheduled for Sunday 25th of this month at Camp Nou, and Flick is determined not to repeat what he regards as an unwelcome scenario. Raphinha’s involvement against Getafe on Saturday 10th of this month will depend on the results of his tests and his recovery over the coming hours.
He has not yet been ruled out of the match, but Barcelona are already considering alternatives in case he is unavailable. Flick is particularly assessing his options for the central striker role.
Gabriel Jesus and Hamza Abdelkarim are considered the most natural replacements, with both players operating as recognised forwards. However, neither of the two players who joined the squad this season has featured regularly.
Gabriel Jesus has played only 41 minutes across four matches, although he has scored twice. Hamza Abdelkarim, meanwhile, has made only four minutes for Barcelona, coming in the La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano.
Flick also has players who have performed effectively as false nines. Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi are among the available possibilities, while Lamine Yamal could also be used through the middle.
The final decision on Raphinha’s participation will be made after his medical assessments and an evaluation of his recovery. Flick’s previous experience with the player’s injury means Barcelona will adopt a particularly careful approach before the forward returns.