Barcelona star Raphinha has given his club another injury concern after being forced off at half time during Brazil’s 4-2 friendly victory over Australia.
The Brazilian captain started the match in Brisbane and played a key role before his early departure, scoring from the penalty spot shortly before the break to bring Brazil level at 2-2.
Raphinha was replaced by Real Madrid forward Endrick at the start of the second half after complaining of muscle discomfort in his right thigh...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed that the attacker was withdrawn as a precaution after experiencing the discomfort, but the full extent of the problem has not yet been established.
The injury scare will be closely monitored by Barcelona, particularly because Raphinha has become one of the club’s most important attacking players.
Brazil had taken an early lead through Vanderson before Australia turned the game around with goals from Alessandro Circati and Connor Metcalfe.
Raphinha restored parity from the penalty spot just before half time, giving Brazil renewed momentum heading into the second period.
His replacement, Endrick, immediately became involved in the action and helped Brazil regain control of the contest.
Bruno Guimarães eventually put Brazil back in front before Vinícius Júnior converted another penalty late in the match to complete the 4-2 comeback.
Despite the victory, attention quickly shifted to Raphinha’s condition.
The 29 year old forward has experienced injury problems during previous international assignments, making the latest muscle complaint particularly significant for Barcelona.
At the moment, there is no confirmed indication of how long Raphinha could be unavailable. Further medical assessment is expected to determine whether the problem is minor or could keep him out of upcoming matches.
Brazil are scheduled to face India in their next friendly on October 3, while Barcelona will also be monitoring the situation closely ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
For now, the major concern is whether Raphinha’s latest muscle discomfort will prove to be a brief precaution or another injury setback for one of Barcelona’s key players.
