Raphinha’s recent injury has led Barcelona coach Hansi Flick to urge Marcus Rashford to step up. The Brazil international is set to miss several crucial matches after injuring his right hamstring.
Raphinha’s Injury and Time Off
Raphinha, 29, sustained the injury in Brazil’s defeat to France and is expected to be sidelined for five weeks. This marks the third time this season that Raphinha has injured the same hamstring, causing him to miss 16 games already.
Flick gave Raphinha time off to clear his mind after the injury left him devastated. Flick spoke with Raphinha and decided to let him spend time back in Brazil with his family.
“I talked to him on FaceTime and he was very disappointed, very down, so I decided with Deco that [he could spend time in Brazil],” Flick said. “Normally we want the players here, but he’s in good hands and maybe he can clear his mind, come back this weekend and start on Monday.”
Rashford’s Opportunity
Raphinha will miss the upcoming matches against Atlético Madrid, including the Champions League quarterfinal tie, and a potential semifinal. However, he could return for the Clásico against Real Madrid on May 10.
In the meantime, Rashford may get an opportunity to convince Barça to make his loan permanent for €30 million this summer. Rashford has started just one of Barça’s last 10 games due to Raphinha’s form and his own injury problems. He could start at the Metropolitano this weekend after featuring twice for his country this week.
“I am happy with Marcus because he’s performed well,” Flick said of Rashford, who has 10 goals and 13 assists in 39 appearances this season. “In the last weeks he had some problems, he was injured, we had to take care about that. It’s a good chance now for him to show again, but we have other options [to replace Raphinha].”
Other Options for Barcelona
Flick mentioned that Fermín López and Gavi could also fill the void left by Raphinha’s injury. “Fermín [López] can play there; Gavi also can play there. I am happy Gavi is back on this level. We will see. We have more options,” said Flick.
Flick also confirmed that Jules Koundé, Alejandro Balde and Eric García have recovered from knocks and are available to face Atlético. Frenkie de Jong will not return to training until next week.
- Raphinha is ruled out for five weeks with a hamstring injury.
- He will miss matches against Atlético Madrid, including Champions League quarterfinal ties.
- Marcus Rashford may get a chance to prove himself in Raphinha’s absence.
Barcelona are currently top of LaLiga, four points ahead of Real Madrid, with Atlético fourth, 16 points off the lead. Saturday’s match is the first of three in 11 days between Barça and Atlético, with a Champions League quarterfinal tie also upcoming.