FC Barcelona are off to a rip roaring start this season, as they are unblemished, thus far, in La Liga. They head into their second Champions League clash, this time at Galatasaray, having won the first 5-1 over Feyenoord. So obviously, they are feeling very good right now. However, they do have an injury concern with their Ballon d’Or candidate (although he was omitted from the 30 man short list, for some reason) Raphinha.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 of 8
Kickoff: Tues Oct 13, 8pm
Venue: Rams Park, Istanbul, Turkey
UCL Standing, Form: FC Barcelona 3rd, 3 pts W Galatasaray 29th, 0 pts, L
Result Probability, According to Google: FC Barcelona win 76% Draw 13% Galatasaray win 11%
Barcelona Team News
He actually missed out on the 3-0 win over Getafe this past weekend, due to a right thigh injury.
The forward withdrew from Brazil this past international break, and he’s expected to remain sidelined for this match here. However, in the grand scheme of things, the injury to Raphinha is not very major/extremely severe and he should not be out for all that long.
Elsewhere Frenkie de Jong is ahead of schedule with his recovery from the MCL tear that he suffered at the World Cup, and he’s back in training.
He could be available here, but most likely not. It is much more likely that his return to availability comes next weekend.
And then of course, finally, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.