Barcelona Confirm Extent of Raphinha Injury, Reveal Recovery Timeline

The Brazil international did not feature in the second half against Elche on Saturday.

Raphinha is nursing his third injury of the season. | Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Barcelona winger Raphinha has been diagnosed with an adductor strain in his right leg, the club confirmed on Monday.

Alarms bells sounded at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero when Raphinha only played the opening 45 minutes of Barcelona’s 3–1 win over Elche at the weekend. The injury overshadowed the win and left Hansi Flick sweating over the Brazilian’s fitness.

After Raphinha underwent further tests, the club confirmed his adductor issue is due to overload, not any major injury. The defending Spanish champions revealed the forward will only be out one week to recover.

Flick will breathe a sigh of relief at the prognosis given Raphinha’s early fitness woes at the beginning of the season. The 29-year-old missed nearly two months due to a hamstring injury, and another long-term spell on the sidelines could have spelled trouble for Barcelona.

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How Many Games Will Raphinha Miss With an Adductor Strain?

Raphinha is headed back to the sidelines. | Francisco Macia/Europa Press/Getty Images

Raphinha is only expected to miss two games for Barcelona. The Brazilian is ruled out of the Catalans’ Copa del Rey quarterfinal clash with Albacete, unfolding on Tuesday, Feb. 3. On paper, Flick’s men should not need their superstar winger to get past a La Liga 2 side, but their opponents eliminated Real Madrid in the prior round.

The defending Spanish champions then return home to host Mallorca in La Liga on Saturday, Feb. 7. The visitors should also pose little threat against Barcelona; they currently sit 15th in the table and have just one win in their last six matches.

Without any setbacks, Raphinha should be back in time to face Girona on Monday, Feb. 16.

Barcelona’s Upcoming Fixtures

Opponent	Competition	Date
Albacete (A)	Copa del Rey	Feb. 3
Mallorca (H)	La Liga	Feb. 7
Girona (A)	La Liga	Feb. 16

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Raphinha’s Injury Paves the Way for Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford has shined under Hansi Flick’s leadership. | Judit Cartiel/Getty Images

Even though Raphinha’s injury is not as bad as Barcelona feared, the club still must work around his absence on the left wing. The good news is that Marcus Rashford is a natural replacement for the Brazil international, one that has excelled since his move to Catalonia.

The Manchester United loanee has already made 32 appearances for Barcelona this season, recording 10 goals and nine assists along the way. Even when his minutes went down upon Raphinha’s return from a hamstring injury, Rashford still produced when called upon; he has four goal contributions in his last four appearances off the bench.

The 28-year-old is now in line to make his grand return to Flick’s XI for as long as Raphinha remains sidelined. Should Rashford indeed get the nod against Albacete on Tuesday, he will make just his third start since the calendar flipped to 2026.

The England international would love nothing more than to find the back of the net in his third consecutive game to further prove to his critics and England boss Thomas Tuchel that he has rediscovered his form. Despite recent reports claiming Man Utd interim boss Michael Carrick would want Rashford to continue his career at Old Trafford following the conclusion of his loan, the player himself has made it clear he wishes to remain in Spain.

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