Barcelona forward likely to feature for only 20-30 minutes against Real Madrid

Barcelona forward likely to feature for only 20-30 minutes against Real Madrid

Barcelona forward Raphinha has been out of action since March after suffering his third injury of the 2025/26 season during international duty with Brazil, an issue that significantly disrupted Hansi Flick’s plans during the most demanding stretch of the season.

Since then, Barcelona have had to cope without one of the most intense and influential attackers in the squad.

Raphinha has missed several key matches across both La Liga and the Champions League, including the difficult European quarter-final clash against Atletico Madrid.

Victim of his own style

As reported before, Barcelona have been extremely cautious with his recovery process, fully aware of how physically demanding his style of play can be.

The winger’s constant pressing, relentless running and aggressive intensity make him one of Flick’s most valuable tactical weapons, but those same qualities also increase the risk of muscular problems.

That reality is one of the reasons why Flick decided against taking any risks with the Brazilian during the recent match against Osasuna.

Even with Barcelona struggling to break the deadlock late in the game, Flick refused to rush Raphinha back into action, preferring to protect the player’s fitness ahead of the club’s biggest fixture of the season.