Official: Barcelona confirm Raphinha out for five weeks with hamstring injury

Barcelona have announced that captain and first-team winger Raphinha will be sidelined for approximately five weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury while on international duty with Brazil.

The 29-year-old felt discomfort during Thursday night’s friendly against France in the United States and underwent examinations by the Brazilian Football Confederation. Subsequent tests revealed damage to the biceps femoris in his right thigh, prompting an immediate return to Catalonia for treatment.

“Raphinha has suffered an injury to the biceps femoris of his right thigh, as confirmed by the medical tests conducted by the CBF due to the discomfort he noticed during the Brazil-France match,” the club confirmed in a statement released earlier today. “Raphinha returns to Barcelona to begin the appropriate treatment. The approximate recovery time is five weeks.”

The news comes as a significant setback for the Blaugrana, who are entering a pivotal stretch of the season. Raphinha is set to miss the forthcoming triple-header against Atlético Madrid—once in La Liga and twice in the Champions League quarter-finals—compressed into a demanding ten-day window.

Domestically, his absence will also be felt in the Catalan derby against Espanyol and league fixtures versus Celta Vigo, Getafe, and Osasuna. Should Barcelona progress to the Champions League semi-finals, the Brazilian would be unavailable for the first leg and would face a race against time to feature in the return match.

Attention will now turn to the weekend of 11 May, when the Clásico against Real Madrid could play a decisive role in the title race. Barcelona’s medical staff will aim to have their influential winger back in contention for that high-stakes encounter.