Rashford and Raphinha in the spotlight with contrasting injury updates ahead of Barcelona vs. Girona
Barcelona are coming off a tough 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid last Thursday in the Copa del Rey. While they continue to look ahead to the second leg of that tie, they must first shift their focus to Monday’s La Liga matchup against Girona, with particular attention on the physical condition of Raphinha and Marcus Rashford.
In the defeat to Los Colchoneros, head coach Hansi Flick was unable to count on Raphinha due to a hamstring issue. The same injury had already sidelined the winger for the previous Copa del Rey match against Albacete, as well as the La Liga game against Mallorca.
However, Raphinha’s recovery is trending in a positive direction, and he is expected to return against Girona. According to Sport, he took part in Saturday’s training session with the rest of the squad and showed no setbacks, much like he did during Friday’s workout.
The Brazilian star’s return would be a major boost for Flick, who considers him a key piece of the team and has only left him out when forced to do so by injury. So far this season, Raphinha has recorded 13 goals and five assists in 22 appearances across La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Bad news regarding Marcus Rashford
While Raphinha’s progress is encouraging, the same cannot be said for Marcus Rashford. The England forward also missed the match against Atletico Madrid and, unlike his teammate, appears unlikely to recover in time to face Girona.
Sport reports that Rashford did not participate in Saturday’s training session, as he has not fully recovered from a knee knock suffered last weekend against Mallorca. Given the circumstances, it seems doubtful that Marcus will be able to train at full capacity on Sunday, which all but rules him out for Monday’s game.
Problems for Hansi Flick
When assembling the squad for this season, it was clear that Barcelona planned to prioritize their primary attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, a combination that delivered strong results last year. However, injuries have complicated those plans.
Lewandowski has dealt with physical issues that allowed Ferran Torres to take on a bigger role. Meanwhile, Raphinha has at times had to give up his spot on the left wing to Marcus Rashford for similar reasons. The England forward has delivered when called upon, tallying 10 goals and 13 assists in 34 appearances.
At the moment, though, Barcelona may be without both options on the left side, as Raphinha and Rashford are each dealing with fitness concerns. Last Thursday, Flick addressed the issue by inserting Dani Olmo into the lineup, but the move did not produce the desired results. Heading into the Girona match, it remains to be seen whether the coach sticks with that approach or looks for alternative solutions.