Ahead of matchday 24 in LaLiga, FC Barcelona received some good news when Raphinha returned to action on the training pitch ahead of their Monday evening game against Catalan rivals Girona.
While he did not train with the first team starters, instead with the substitutes, the return to the grass marks a huge step forward in the former Leeds player’s progress after suffering an overload against Elche late last month.
Raphinha missed the Copa del Rey win over Albacete and the subsequent loss to Atlético Madrid, as well as the LaLiga game against Mallorca. The news of his return comes as a huge relief for manager Hansi Flick, who must look to turn things around quickly after the disastrous performance against Cholo Simeone’s side in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, which saw Barcelona thrashed 4-0 in the Spanish capital.
Raphinha will now make the journey with the first team to Girona where Barcelona will play to maintain their lead at the top of LaLiga, with rivals Real Madrid breathing down their necks. Whether or not he is fit to start appears unlikely; playing any time at all will depend on late medical advice and the player’s overall feelings in terms of his recovery.
News regarding Marcus Rashford, unfortunately for Barcelona, is not so positive. The English winger is still unavailable for Barcelona after suffering a knee injury. He did not train with the team and is unlikely to feature at all for the blaugrana. Midfielder Pedri will also be out of action in this game, as his return from a thigh injury is expected later in the month.
Ahead of the game, Barcelona sit top of the LaLiga standings, on 58 points after 23 games. Real Madrid are creeping up behind on 57 from the same amount of games: they play against an in-form Real Sociedad side on Saturday, who have New Jersey-born coach Rino Matarazzo leading them to 9 unbeaten ahead of their trip to the capital.