Raphinha Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Barcelona Star

Alarm bells blared throughout Catalonia when Raphinha seemingly picked up an injury while on international duty with Brazil.

The 29-year-old, who played 90 minutes against Australia on Friday, was once again sent out to lead Carlo Ancelotti’s line against the Socceroos just four days later. Raphinha continued his blistering form, converting a penalty on the brink of halftime.

But the forward was pulled at halftime of the Seleção’s 4–2 win. Fans instantly feared the worst considering Raphinha previously picked up significant injuries during his last two spells with Brazil.

Here’s the latest on Raphinha’s condition.

What Injury Does Raphinha Have?

Brazil confirmed Raphinha suffered from discomfort in his right thigh against Australia and was therefore replaced at halftime by Ancelotti. The Italian boss did not immediately comment on his superstar’s condition.

More tests await Raphinha to determine the severity of the problem. As of now, he remains with the Seleção on international duty.

Both Brazil and Barcelona will be sweating over his status in the coming days. The teams will hope Raphinha avoided another major injury, especially after his significant hamstring problems over the last year.

When Will Raphinha Return for Barcelona?

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Without knowing the full extent of the problem, it’s impossible to know how long Raphinha will be sidelined. The best case scenario would see the 29-year-old take the rest of the international break to recover so he can be ready in time for Barcelona’s first match back against Getafe on Oct. 10.

A longer layoff could potentially keep Raphinha out of action for several massive fixtures coming in October. Barcelona have clashes with Galatasaray, Real Betis, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid on the horizon.

For reference, when Raphinha suffered a minor hamstring injury this summer at the 2026 World Cup, he only missed about two weeks of action. Before that, it was a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem at the end of the 2025–26 season. Not to mention he was stuck in the infirmary for nearly two months at the start of that campaign with the same issue.

Without further confirmation from Brazil or Barcelona, Raphinha’s recovery timeline is only down to speculation.

Barcelona’s Options to Replace Raphinha

Anthony Gordon could reprise his days at striker. | David Ramos/Getty Images

Should Raphinha miss an extended period, Barcelona will find themselves in a precarious position. The defending Spanish champions were already thin at the position following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Raphinha made the transition from winger to striker to fill the hole in Hansi Flick’s attack and so far has 14 goals to his name. His dominance up top is much of the reason why Barcelona have yet to drop a single point this season.

Without him available, Flick will have to get creative. New signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi both have experience playing as strikers even though they are better out wide. Dani Olmo could also play as a false nine, as can Lamine Yamal.

There’s also Gabriel Jesus to consider. The former Arsenal man is the most obvious solution, considering he is the only natural, senior center forward at Flick’s disposal. But the 29-year-old has yet to start a game this season; in fact, he hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in three of his four appearances in a Blaugrana shirt.

Throwing Jesus into the XI feels unlikely given the tough competition coming for Barcelona, but Flick is never one to shy away from an unconventional solution.

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