Raphinha suffered a bad hamstring injury while playing for Brazil during this past international window, and the forward is feeling pretty down about it. He’ll be out until May, so it’s easy to understand why he’s depressed about it. In order to help him feel better, at least mentally, manager Hansi Flick and club sporting director Deco will let him go back to Brazil to work on his rehabilitation.
“He was sad about this and we’re not happy,” Flick said to the media. “I talked to him on FaceTime and he was very disappointed, very down, so I decided with Deco that (he could work on his recovery in his homeland).”
FC Barcelona at Atletico Madrid
Kickoff: Saturday 9pm, April 4, Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
Barcelona Full Injury List: go here
La Liga Standing: Atletico Madrid 4th, 57 pts, Barca 1st, 73 pts
La Liga Form: Atletico Madrid WWWWL Barca WWWWW
Result Probability: Atletico Madrid 30% Draw 26% Barca 44%
FC Barcelona Team News
“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,” Flick continued.
“This is why I gave him some days in Brazil with his family, to clear his mind. It was clear for us.”
Elsewhere midfielder Frenkie de Jong remains out with a hamstring problem, but he could maybe be back in the squad when the two teams meet again in the Champions League next week. Additionally, Andreas Christensen remains out as a long-term knee injury absentee.
However, we also have some good news to report on the injury front! Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Eric Garcia have all fully recovered, and they’re medically cleared to make the matchday squad tomorrow.
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. 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.