Champions League blow for Barcelona as Raphinha out for 5 weeks with hamstring injury

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona’s push for European glory has suffered a major setback after the club confirmed that winger Raphinha will be sidelined for approximately five weeks with a right hamstring injury, ruling him out of both Champions League quarter-final legs against Atlético Madrid.

The 29-year-old Brazilian felt discomfort during Thursday’s friendly between Brazil and France in Boston and underwent scans administered by the Brazilian Football Federation. The CBF’s findings revealed a hamstring tear, prompting an immediate return to Catalonia for treatment. A club statement issued on Friday estimated the lay-off at five weeks, a timeline that ends any hope of featuring in the last-eight tie that begins with the first leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on 8 April.

Raphinha had been in sparkling continental form, scoring twice in the 7-2 second-leg demolition of Newcastle that carried Barcelona into the quarter-finals. His pace and direct running will now be absent when Xavi Hernández’s side attempt to navigate past domestic rivals Atlético and edge closer to a first Champions League semi-final berth since 2019.

The timing is equally critical on the domestic front. Barcelona sit atop La Liga with a four-point cushion over Real Madrid and only nine rounds remaining, meaning every available point could prove decisive in a tense title race. Raphinha’s injury deprives the league leaders of a versatile attacker who has featured prominently on both flanks this season.

Barcelona’s medical staff will monitor the winger’s rehabilitation closely, aiming to have him back in training before the season’s climax. Should the recovery proceed without complication, Raphinha could return for a potential Champions League semi-final, provided the club progress past Atlético, or for the final weeks of the domestic campaign.

For now, Barcelona must regroup, reshuffle, and find a way to overcome Diego Simeone’s well-drilled side without one of their most influential forwards.