Hansi Flick received excellent news on Wednesday: Raphinha rejoined the training camp and participated in part of the group sessions.
It is worth noting that the Brazilian winger had been absent from training for almost a month due to a hamstring injury in his right leg. His absence has been felt across the team: Flick has consistently acknowledged how much he missed Raphinha, both for his work rate on the pitch and his leadership among teammates.
The plan is for Raphinha to complete full training with the squad by today if his sensations remain positive, with a potential clearance on Saturday and the possibility of featuring at the Bernabéu. He is not expected to start, given the month-long injury layoff, but his presence on the bench would already provide a significant boost for the team.
Ferran Torres is also expected to be available for El Clásico. Although he was cleared to play on Tuesday, he did not feature against Olympiacos. In his case, the injury was minor—a hamstring strain—but it caused more complications than initially expected. Torres could still start on Sunday, likely forming the wing trio alongside Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal.
The return of Raphinha and Ferran would be a major relief for the team’s offensive issues, which in recent weeks have relied heavily on the contributions of players like Fermín, Roony, and Dro.