Barcelona have officially confirmed that Raphinha will be sidelined for approximately five weeks after sustaining a right hamstring injury during Brazil's 2-1 friendly defeat to France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Thursday.
The 29-year-old started for Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil side but did not emerge for the second half. Medical tests carried out by the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) confirmed the diagnosis the following day. The club released a statement: the estimated recovery time is five weeks, and the player has now returned to Barcelona to begin his rehabilitation.
The timing is devastating. Raphinha will miss both Champions League quarter-final legs against Atletico Madrid — the first at the Metropolitano on April 8, the return at Spotify Camp Nou on April 14. He will also sit out La Liga fixtures against Atletico, Espanyol, Celta Vigo and Getafe during that stretch.
This is the third time this season that Raphinha has suffered a right hamstring problem. He missed 13 games between September and November and a further three in January and February. The contrast with last season is stark — 34 goals and 26 assists in 57 appearances, a campaign that put him in Ballon d'Or conversations. This term he has managed 19 goals and eight assists in 31 games, including a brace in the 7-2 rout of Newcastle in the Champions League round of 16.
Marcus Rashford is the most likely beneficiary, with the Manchester United loanee expected to take Raphinha's place on the left. Rashford needs a defining run to convince Barcelona to make the deal permanent. Hansi Flick will have other options, but none carry the same creative output or leadership weight.
The silver lining is in the timeline. A five-week recovery points to a return around the Osasuna fixture on May 3, meaning Raphinha could still be fit for the Clasico at Camp Nou on May 10 — a game that may decide the La Liga title.
There is a World Cup dimension too. Brazil open their campaign against Morocco on June 13. With Ancelotti reportedly submitting his final squad list around May 17, Raphinha will have precious little time to prove his fitness. The Italian has consistently cited full fitness as a prerequisite for selection, and this is the third recurrence of the same injury this season.
