Why isn’t Raphinha playing for Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid today?
Brazilian forward ruled out for key LaLiga and Champions League games, with Barça also missing Frenkie de Jong in Madrid.
Barcelona face one of their toughest LaLiga games of the season on Saturday without key attacker Raphinha, who misses the visit to Atlético Madrid because of a hamstring injury.
Raphinha injury: How long will he be out?
The Brazilian star suffered the injury in his country’s 2-1 defeat to France in Foxborough last Thursday and was sent back to Barcelona for tests before Brazil beat Croatia in Orlando. Those tests confirmed Raphinha had sustained the exact same issue that has already sidelined him on two separate occasions this season.
The 29-year-old is expected to be absent for five weeks, meaning he will miss both legs of the Champions League quarterfinal against Atlético, as well as Saturday’s league clash. If that timeframe proves correct, he would also miss the first leg of a potential semifinal if Barça progress.
Without Raphinha this season, Barça have lost 33% of their games 👀
— LiveScore (@livescore) March 28, 2026
With him, just 6% 💪
They’re really going to miss their winger over the next 5 weeks 🤕 pic.twitter.com/UokEirGy9y
Why isn’t Frenkie de Jong playing against Atlético?
Hansi Flick is also without Frenkie de Jong, who has been dealing with a hamstring problem since the end of February. The Barça coach revealed the Dutchman is set to return to training next week, although his participation in the Champions League double-header against Atleti is not guaranteed.
Defensive boost offers Flick some relief
There is also some good news for Barcelona on the injury front. Jules Koundé, Alejandro Balde and Eric García are all back in contention after recent injuries, giving Flick extra options to choose from in defense.
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