Barcelona Confirm Double Fitness Blow for Atletico Madrid Copa del Rey Clash

The first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal will be hosted by Atlético Madrid on Thursday evening.

Marcus Rashford (center) has been ruled out of Thursday’s clash. | Ruben De La Rosa/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Barcelona have confirmed that Marcus Rashford and Raphinha will miss Thursday’s Copa del Rey semifinal first leg against Atlético Madrid in the Spanish capital.

The club revealed that Rashford suffered a blow during last weekend’s victory over Mallorca and has been sidelined as a “precautionary measure.” There is no timeline for the England international’s return but he won’t be the only notable absentee.

Raphinha also sat out Wednesday’s training session after missing the previous two matches with a hamstring strain. Hansi Flick’s pessimistic stance on the news casts a worrying picture for both players going forward.

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Hansi Flick: ‘I’m Not Happy’

Hansi Flick is not impressed with some key absences. | Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Raphinha is a particularly big loss. Flick’s revered talisman is the heartbeat of the team’s press which can misfire in his absence—Barcelona are yet to lose a single game with the Brazilian in the starting XI this season. However, that industry out of possession can come at a cost for the 29-year-old.

Thursday’s semifinal will be the 13th fixture this term which Raphinha has been forced to miss through injury—the same number of games that he sat out across his first three seasons at the club.

“Step by step, we have to take care of him,” Flick warned of Raphinha, a player who “always gives his all, with high intensity, and when he feels any discomfort, we have to take care of him and hold him back.”

“I’m not happy because we need him, just like the rest of the injured players,” the German boss moaned. “These things can happen. Up until now, we’ve been doing well.”

Rashford will also be missing, much to Flick’s frustration. “We have problems in the team, Marcus won’t be able to play, he took a knock, he’s in pain, and we have to take care of him,” the coach revealed.

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How Barcelona Can Cover Attacking Absences

Fermín López has become an essential part of Barcelona’s attack. | Urbanandsport/NurPhotoGetty Images

The most obvious solution to Barcelona’s dearth of forwards is a player who has already been out-performing Rashford and Raphinha in some aspects. Only Lamine Yamal has directly contributed to more goals across all competitions than Fermín López, who boasts double digits in both categories.

This staggering output, which has come from attacking midfield and occasional forays out wide, has earned Fermín a new long-term contract until the summer of 2031. After a summer spent flirting with a move to Chelsea, Barcelona have reaped the rewards of a talent blossoming into one of the most penetrative double threats in Europe.

“He can still improve and become more composed,” Flick, ever the demanding taskmaster mused earlier this year, “but he’s on the right track.”

Dani Olmo could alternatively be shunted out wide to keep Fermín in his favored central position—Barcelona are already missing their most important midfielder, Pedri, who likely won’t be available until the end of February.

Player	Goals	Assists
Lamine Yamal	15	12
Fermín López	10	12
Marcus Rashford	10	10
Raphinha	13	5
Ferran Torres	16	1
Robert Lewandowski	13	1
Dani Olmo	7	6

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