Barcelona lose Raphinha at the worst possible time. The winger picked up a right hamstring injury playing for Brazil against France in Boston on Thursday, and he won't be back for five weeks — which wipes out both Champions League quarterfinal legs against Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona confirmed the injury on Friday, stating that medical tests carried out by the Brazilian Football Federation left no room for ambiguity. Raphinha is flying back to the club to begin treatment. Five weeks. That's it. That's the timeline.
Raphinha ruled out against Atletico — right after his best European night
The timing is particularly grim when you consider what he just did. Two weeks ago, Raphinha scored twice in a 7-2 dismantling of Newcastle in the round of 16 second leg. He was Barcelona's sharpest attacker in Europe this spring. Now he'll watch from the stands when the first leg kicks off at home on April 8.
Atletico Madrid will know this. You don't manage Diego Simeone's side without obsessing over the opposition's injury list, and Raphinha at full tilt was one of the few players capable of making their defensive structure genuinely uncomfortable. Barcelona's attacking odds in that tie just shifted.
The 29-year-old will also miss Brazil's World Cup opener against Morocco on June 13 if the five-week timeline holds firm — though that's a secondary concern right now. The Champions League quarterfinal is the immediate casualty.
Barcelona still lead La Liga, but depth gets tested
Domestically, Barcelona sit four points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga with nine games left. That buffer is comfortable enough that they can absorb some rotation, but losing their most dynamic forward to injury while simultaneously preparing for a European quarterfinal asks serious questions of the squad depth.
France beat Brazil 2-1 in the match that ended Raphinha's night — and, effectively, his spring.
