The club’s official statement came after the Brazilian winger was subbed off at half-time in Barcelona’s 3-1 victory away at Elche on Saturday
Barcelona have confirmed that Raphinha has suffered a muscle strain, forcing the club to take a cautious approach with one of their most influential forwards.
Raphinha was substituted at halftime during Barcelona’s recent LaLiga match against Elche. Following the team’s return to Barcelona, further medical examinations were carried out to determine the extent of the problem.
The club outlined the diagnosis and short-term plan in an official medical update.
“The first team player Raphael Dias, Raphinha, has a strain in the adductor muscle in his right thigh,” the club statement read. “The player will miss the game against Albacete as a precaution and his recovery time will be a week.”
The decision to rest the Brazilian forward has been taken with fixture congestion in mind, as Barcelona look to balance short term results with player availability later in the season.
Medical staff believe the injury is minor, but the risk of aggravation has led to a conservative approach.
Raphinha’s importance to Barcelona has grown steadily under head coach Hansi Flick. Beyond his goals, the winger has become a central figure in Barcelona’s pressing structure, often setting the tempo defensively while providing direct threat in attack.
𝗜𝗡𝗝𝗨𝗥𝗬 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘
Raphinha is suffering from an overload in the adductor muscle of his right leg.As a precaution, he will miss tomorrow’s match against Albacete, and his recovery period is expected to be one week. pic.twitter.com/cRyjRFVRz1
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 2, 2026
Which games will Raphinha miss?
With the recovery period estimated at one week, Raphinha will miss Tuesday’s Copa del Rey quarterfinal away to Albacete. He is also expected to sit out Saturday’s LaLiga fixture against Real Mallorca at Spotify Camp Nou.
If Barcelona progress past Albacete, there is optimism that Raphinha could be available for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, depending on how he responds to treatment over the coming days.
No definitive return date has been set, but the club do not expect the injury to disrupt his availability beyond the immediate fixtures.
So far this season, the Brazilian has featured in 22 matches across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and recording 5 assists.
Goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres gave Barcelona a 2-1 lead before the break away at Elche. Marcus Rashford came off the bench to replace Raphinha and netted a third midway through the second half to seal the outcome for the league leaders.