Raphinha is increasingly unlikely to feature for Barcelona against Getafe on Saturday, with head coach Hansi Flick preparing to replace the Brazil forward in the centre-forward role.
The 28-year-old has missed training with his team-mates for a second consecutive day after returning from Australia with swelling in his right thigh. The injury followed his second match for Brazil.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Raphinha is now highly unlikely to start at Camp Nou against Getafe. Barcelona’s medical and coaching staff do not want to take any risks with the player, while Raphinha’s previous experiences have also taught him that a full recovery is preferable to an early return.
Flick is therefore considering three alternatives to fill the position of one of Barcelona’s most influential players this season. Raphinha leads the La Liga scoring charts with 12 goals and has scored 14 times in eight matches in all competitions, including the Champions League meeting with Feyenoord.
Gabriel Jesus is viewed as the most natural replacement. The Brazil international has not been involved in the current international break after he was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, meaning he has not had the same workload as several of his team-mates.
Jesus could consequently be selected to play through the middle against Getafe, should Raphinha fail to recover in time.
Anthony Gordon is another option available to Flick. The Barcelona manager has mainly used the England international as a left winger, but his recent form could make him a suitable choice in a more central position.
Gordon has scored in each of his last four appearances for England and has made the best start to a season of his career. Those performances could persuade Flick to use him as Raphinha’s replacement at centre-forward.
The third possibility is Dani Olmo. The Spain international has yet to score for Barcelona this season, but he has already provided three assists in the eight matches he has played.
Olmo also enters the match in strong form after supplying three assists in the three Nations League matches he played for Spain during the latest international break. His creativity offers Flick a different way to compensate for Raphinha’s absence.
The Barcelona manager is expected to address the uncertainty surrounding Raphinha at his pre-match news conference on Friday, one day before the meeting with Getafe.