Boost for Lookman's Atletico as Barcelona's 'most decisive player' suffers season derailing injury

Barcelona have announced that star winger Raphinha will be sidelined for approximately five weeks after sustaining a right hamstring injury (specifically to the biceps femoris) while on international duty. 

The 29-year-old suffered the muscle injury during the first half of Brazil’s 2-1 friendly defeat to France in Boston on Thursday. 

After experiencing severe discomfort, Raphinha was substituted at halftime by Brazil’s Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti as a precaution. 

Following initial imaging tests conducted by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) which confirmed the muscular damage, the forward was immediately withdrawn from the national team squad and flown back to Catalonia, where Barcelona could confirm the extent of the injury and the duration of absence.

This injury is particularly concerning, as it marks a recurrence of a right hamstring issue that previously kept him sidelined for two months earlier this season.

The timing of the five-week layoff is a devastating blow to Hansi Flick’s squad, arriving just as Barcelona enters a season-defining stretch in their pursuit of league and European glory. 

Most notably, Raphinha will completely miss the highly anticipated triple-header against Atlético Madrid. This includes the LALIGA clash immediately after the international break, followed by both legs of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.

In addition to the Atlético fixtures, he is definitively ruled out for the Catalan derby against Espanyol, as well as league games against Celta Vigo and Getafe, while remaining a major doubt for a potential Champions League semi-final against either Sporting CP or Arsenal in late April. 

 Losing the Brazilian deprives Barcelona of one of their most dangerous attackers, a player who Flick has dubbed the most decisive in his squad.

Prior to this injury, Raphinha was enjoying a rich vein of form, with seven goal contributions (five goals and two assists), in his last three matches for the Blaugrana. In this campaign, he has  registered 19 goals and seven assists in 31 appearances across all competitions.