Barça do not want Raphinha to play in the Copa again, says paper

Barça do not want Raphinha to play in the Copa again, says paper Although he has already returned to training on the pitch, forward Raphinha is not expected to bolster the Brazilian national team in the next stages of the 2026 World Cup. And the striker’s availability is precisely a point of disagreement between Brazil and Barcelona. According to information from the Spanish newspaper As, the coaching staff is working on the expectation of using him only in a possible semifinal, while Barcelona would prefer that the player not take the field again in the tournament. Raphinha suffered a muscle injury in his right leg during the match against Haiti, valid for the second round of the group stage. Although the physical issue left room for him to be dropped, the coaching staff chose to keep him with the squad as an option for the final stages. The order, however, is not to rush his recovery. Given this scenario, youngster Rayan should remain assured of a place in Brazil’s starting lineup. Barcelona’s Concern In Spain, the forward’s situation is causing major concern. According to the As report, Barcelona is totally against using the player for the rest of the World Cup to avoid worsening the condition. The recent history justifies the Catalan club’s red alert: The player has already suffered five injuries this season, the vast majority involving strains and muscle discomfort in the same right thigh. In total, the injuries have kept Raphinha out of 24 matches this year, including appearances for both club and country. Although he is under contract until 2028 and personally wants to remain with the Spanish side, the lack of physical consistency could open the door to a transfer as early as this window. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.