Setback for Flick: Raphinha ends Brazil-France with a knock

Barcelona’s medical department spent Wednesday night on high alert after winger Raphinha was forced off at halftime of Brazil’s friendly against France in Paris, clutching the back of his right thigh. The 27-year-old, who has started every match since Hansi Flick took charge this summer, signalled discomfort shortly before the interval and walked straight down the tunnel, escorted by team physios.

Carlo Ancelotti, overseeing only his second game as Brazil coach, wasted no time in withdrawing his marquee attacker. “He felt a little discomfort in the muscle and I think they’re going to assess him tomorrow,” the Italian told EFE after the 3-1 win. “We didn’t want to risk anything.”

The precautionary substitution has triggered immediate concern at the Joan Gamper training ground. Barça’s doctors have requested full imaging from the Brazilian federation and are braced for results that could range from minor overload to a more serious tear. Club sources say the next 24 hours will be decisive in determining whether Raphinha faces a short lay-off or a prolonged absence.

For Flick, the timing is brutal. The German coach is preparing for a season-defining fortnight that pits Barcelona against Atlético de Madrid twice in four days: first in La Liga, then in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie. Raphinha, the team’s top creator with five assists in his last six outings, is central to those plans. Any enforced absence would leave Flick scrambling for alternatives on an already thin flank, with youngster Lamine Yamal the only natural wide player currently training without restrictions.

Barcelona return to domestic action on Saturday, leaving little room for recovery should the scans deliver bad news. The club’s hierarchy, already navigating a congested calendar, now faces the prospect of tackling Atlético—and the broader fight for silverware—without the player who has become their attacking engine.