Flick confirms the absence

Barcelona captain Raphinha will miss the club's next two matches, coach Hansi Flick confirmed on Friday. He is out for the La Liga match against Getafe on Saturday and the Champions League game against Galatasaray in Istanbul on Tuesday. The problem came during a friendly for Brazil in Australia. According to El Periódico, Raphinha returned early from the Brazil matches with a muscle edema in the back of his right thigh, a version Barcelona informally confirmed while downplaying it. Flick also said the issue required attention even though it was not a big injury.

“The picture shows something and it's not a big injury”

Injury history and the calendar

Flick tied the caution to Raphinha's record, saying the player had a lot of injuries last season and that he counts three of them. El Periódico reports that he missed 20 matches because of those muscle injuries. France 24 notes that Raphinha has been plagued by recurring muscle problems, and that he returned injured from the March 2026 international break, when he faced France in a friendly in Boston. Since the start of the season he has been repositioned as a centre-forward, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists in eight matches across all competitions.

Goals14

Assists3

Goals

14 count

Assists

3 count

Data from the article text

Flick also criticised the international calendar. According to Europa Press, he questioned whether it was necessary to play a friendly in Australia, 30,000 kilometres away, and said that European clubs cannot be asked to release players for such trips. He admitted that the situation has to be accepted, even though it is not the best way to manage players, because he cannot change it.

Lamine Yamal and Luis de la Fuente

Flick praised Spain coach Luis de la Fuente for the way he managed the minutes of Barcelona players during the international break. Lamine Yamal scored four goals in four matches for Spain, and La Vanguardia reports that he played 280 minutes in that stretch and also provided an assist. Flick said he was pleased with Yamal's attitude and that changing him after 60 or 70 minutes would probably not make him happy, but that it is better for him to keep playing at this level.

“It's perfect, he has managed the minutes. I think the relationship is quite good”

Who replaces him

El Periódico reports that Gabriel Jesus will take over the centre-forward role, and that he would start for the first time since joining the club. The paper adds that Gabriel Jesus is not currently in Brazil's squad while he regains his best competitive level. Flick does not plan to rest Yamal in Raphinha's absence, saying the young forward does not need a break and recovers quickly. Barcelona are the reigning two-time Spanish champions and remain unbeaten in La Liga this season, sitting top of the table five points ahead of Atlético Madrid.