The wait continues for the return of the Brazilian forward.
Just two days before the season’s first El Clásico, Barcelona received more bad news: the La Liga champions will be without Brazilian forward Rafinha against Real Madrid.
Rafinha has missed Barcelona’s last five matches due to a hamstring injury. He returned to training with the team last Wednesday, raising hopes he might feature in the Clásico. However, the 28-year-old felt unwell during Thursday’s session and did not train on Friday.
Several Spanish media outlets now report that Rafinha will not be available for Sunday’s league clash at Santiago Bernabéu.
This adds to the worries of Barcelona coach Hans Flick. Key players including Joan Garcia, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, and Dani Olmo are already out due to injuries, while defender Jules Koundé’s availability remains uncertain.
Barcelona has won all four of the last El Clásicos. Currently, they sit second in the league table with 22 points from nine matches, two behind leaders Real Madrid, who have 24 points from the same number of games.
