Raphinha, the most eagerly awaited return at Barça

Barcelona will step onto the Estadi Montilivi pitch tonight with more than three points at stake. After a bruising mid-week exit from the Copa del Rey, the squad’s immediate priority is to erase that disappointment and reclaim first place in La Liga. The best news on the eve of the Catalan derby: Raphinha, one of the team’s most influential performers, has completed his recovery and is back in Hansi Flick’s squad list.

The Brazilian winger’s return injects pace and creativity into a front line that will be tasked with unlocking a stubborn Girona defence. While Raphinha’s availability offers a timely boost, Barça remain without Rashford, Pedri, Gavi and Christensen, leaving Flick to shuffle resources in midfield and defence.

A victory in Girona would lift the Blaugrana one point clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the summit of the table, but the coaching staff are equally focused on recapturing the fluid, high-tempo football that characterised their early-season run. With the title race tightening and every match carrying added weight, tonight’s contest is viewed inside the dressing room as the first step toward restoring momentum and confidence.

Kick-off at Montilivi is set against a backdrop of expectation: three points, a return to winning ways, and the reintegration of a key protagonist who could define the run-in.