Barcelona forward Raphinha was arguably their player of the season last year, but has struggled to stay on the pitch this season. The Brazilian has been in and out of action with muscle problems which he appeared to have put behind him in January, but is once again sidelined.
Originally diagnosed with a minor muscle strain, Raphinha relapsed late last year, which turned an initial three-week absence into closer to two months out of action. After gradually, getting back to full fitness, Raphinha is again suffering with injuries.
The latest problem is another hamstring issue, with Raphinha suffering from discomfort. He came off at half-time against Elche in their 3-1 win last weekend, and then sat out their tie against Albacete in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, which Barcelona won 2-1. On Thursday, after Barcelona returned to training, MD say that Raphinha continued individual training, as his muscle discomfort remained. They say he is now targeting a return in the first leg of the Copa semi-finals next midweek on Tuesday or Wednesday. The club are keen to be as careful as possible with his recovery after his earlier issues.
🚨 Tommy Marqués continues training with the first team, although the availability of practically all the players makes it difficult for him to break into the squad. Even so, Hansi Flick wants him close by. [@Guillembp01]
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 5, 2026
Manager Hansi Flick voiced his frustration with Raphinha’s injury issues on Monday ahead of their tie with Albacete, noting that either the club or Raphinha had to change something to avoid this happening. This is the second time that Flick has publicly manifested his malcontent at the handling of key players in terms of their fitness, after Pedri sat out two weeks of action. The Canary Islander missed a month of action through his own fitness problems, but after coming back for nearly three weeks, had to stop again due to more muscle discomfort.
