According to Sport, Raphinha is confident that his FIFA World Cup campaign is not over.
Medical tests conducted on the Brazilian winger in New Jersey on Saturday revealed a tear in his right hamstring. The injury has plagued him throughout the season, most recently during the March international break when playing for Brazil, sidelining him for five weeks.
The Brazilian Football Confederation confirmed that Raphinha will "undergo intensive treatment under the supervision of the Brazilian team's medical staff" but stopped short of providing a specific recovery timeline: "Our goal is to accelerate his recovery and return to play as soon as possible."
Raphinha is now in a race against time with Brazil's medical team, targeting July 5th—the date Brazil would theoretically play in the round of 16—as his comeback date. He has already begun physical therapy.
Raphinha will miss at least the next two weeks, which means he will definitely be unavailable for Brazil's final group stage match against Scotland. Should Brazil top their group, they will also play in the round of 32 on June 29th.
If Raphinha cannot return for the July 5th round of 16 clash, Brazil's continued participation in the tournament would give him an additional week to recover. The quarter-finals are scheduled for July 11th in Miami, giving him three full weeks from the date of his injury to prepare.
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