Raphinha will once again wear Brazil’s colors after head coach Carlo Ancelotti included him in the squad for the upcoming friendly matches against Japan and Singapore on November 14 and 17. However, the forward’s call-up is causing concern at Barcelona because of his frequent muscle problems, “Globo” reports.
Since the beginning of the year, the Brazilian has suffered three injuries while on duty with the national team. For this very reason, the Catalan club maintains constant contact with the Brazilian Football Confederation. The two sides discuss the player’s workload and the amount of time he should spend on the pitch.
The latest such case dates back to September, when Raphinha felt pain in his right thigh during the friendly against Australia and was substituted at half-time. Medical examinations revealed slight muscle swelling, after which the Brazilian federation released him from the squad for the following match against India.
Following that problem, one of Barcelona’s key players missed several matches for his club side. In the subsequent games against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, it was also noticeable that he was not in optimal physical condition.
Barcelona hope that this time Raphinha will come through his international commitments with Brazil without any further fitness problems.