It’s good news, bad news, injury wise, for FC Barcelona ahead of the Catalan derby against Girona on Monday night. Raphinha returned to training on Friday, joining the rest of the squad, outdoors on grass. After being subbed off at halftime due to injury, against Elche, the Brazilian forward then missed the next three games.
However, Raphinha should at least get some minutes, in a substitute role at Girona on Monday night.
FC Barcelona at Girona FYIs
Kickoff: Mon. Feb. 16 9pm CET, Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain
La Liga Standing, Form: Girona 12th, 26 pts, WWDLD FC Barcelona 1st, 58 pts, WLWWW
Google Result Probability: Girona 14% Draw 16% FC Barcelona 70%
FC Barcelona Team News
The other big team news item to cover here is Marcus Rashford, who is missed out on the 4-0 thrashing, at the hands of Atletico Madrid on Thursday night. Rashford was absent from the Copa Del Rey due to a knee injury, but it is reportedly not that serious. He could be back in action here.
Gavi (recovering from surgery to repair the meniscus injury in his right knee), Andreas Christensen (partial tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and Pedri (hamstring injury) all remain sidelined as long term absentees.
The La Liga race is very tight at the top, with the two El Clasico rivals separated by only a single point. Barca can’t afford to drop any points here, as Real Madrid are currently just one point behind them.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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.