The Englishman has been ruled out of the match at Estadio Metropolitano while the Brazilian continues recovery work ahead of Copa del Rey first leg
Barcelona’s preparation for Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Metropolitano hit a snag as Raphinha remained absent from the final training session at Camp Tito Vilanova.
The Brazilian winger continues working separately in the gym while attempting to recover from an adductor injury that has sidelined him for two matches already.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford also failed to appear on the training pitch, and the club soon after released a statement that he would miss the match, adding another concern for coach Hansi Flick.
𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓
The first team player Marcus Rashford has pain in his left knee after taking a blow in the game against Mallorca on Saturday at Spotify Camp Nou.
The player will miss Thursday’s Copa del Rey game against Atlético Madrid. pic.twitter.com/OsfLx0NYcI
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 11, 2026
The positive development came from Frenkie de Jong, who returned to group training after sitting out Barcelona’s previous match despite being included in the squad.
Raphinha has missed fixtures against Albacete and Real Mallorca after straining his right adductor muscle.
The injury forced him off at halftime during Barcelona’s league match against Elche on January 31, with the substitution made as a precautionary measure.
The club initially projected a 10-day absence, which would have put Thursday’s match right at the edge of his recovery timeline.
However, his rehabilitation is progressing slower than anticipated. Raphinha himself recently suggested his return was “very close” but acknowledged the outlook wasn’t ideal for the Atlético clash.
Barcelona remains uncertain about his availability, and even if cleared medically, questions persist about whether he’d be fit enough to start such a crucial encounter.
De Jong returns but fitness questions remain
Flick has been monitoring De Jong’s condition carefully throughout the week. “He’s not 100 percent,” the German coach said before the Mallorca match, ultimately leaving the Dutch midfielder on the bench despite naming him in the squad.
With Barcelona cruising comfortably in that game, Flick saw no reason to risk aggravating any lingering issues.
The final training session before traveling to Madrid saw De Jong participate fully with the available first-team players in ball-focused drills.
Flick has supplemented his squad by calling up several players from Barcelona’s reserve team, Barça Atlètic. Tommy, who made his first-team debut against Mallorca, receives another opportunity.
Goalkeeper Diego Kochen, typically the third-choice keeper, also earns a spot alongside Jofre Torrents, who returns to the first-team group after previous absences.
Juan Hernández and Brian Fariñas round out the reinforcements from the reserves, providing Flick with additional depth for what promises to be a physically demanding semi-final encounter.
The first leg at Atlético’s home ground sets the stage for what could be a decisive tie in Barcelona’s pursuit of Copa del Rey glory.
Kick off is scheduled for 21:00 CET at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid. For viewers in the United States, that corresponds to 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT.