Barcelona superstar Raphinha ruled out of Brazil’s Round of 16 showdown vs Norway
Barcelona have been handed another worrying update regarding Raphinha after reports confirmed that the winger will miss Brazil’s World Cup Round of 16 clash against Norway.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Barcelona attacker has not yet recovered sufficiently from his muscle problem and remains unable to train at the same intensity as the rest of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
As a result, Raphinha will not feature in the highly anticipated Brazil vs Norway World Cup encounter.
According to news coming from the Brazil camp, the player is still working individually as he attempts to regain full fitness ahead of the latter stages of the tournament.
Raphinha ruled out of Brazil vs Norway
The Raphinha injury update comes after the Brazilian international picked up a problem during Brazil’s second World Cup fixture against Haiti.
The Barcelona winger experienced discomfort in the back of his right thigh and was forced off before halftime.
Raphinha is ruled out of the Norway clash. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
The injury was later confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation, with medical staff deciding to adopt a cautious approach to his rehabilitation.
Since then, Raphinha has been sidelined and has already missed Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Scotland in the final group-stage match as well as the team’s hard-fought 2-1 triumph against Japan in the Round of 32.
Although there was hope that he could recover in time for the Brazil vs Norway World Cup knockout clash, recent assessments have ended those expectations.
It is said that Raphinha completed just over 30 minutes of individual work as part of his recovery programme, but it was not enough to convince the coaching staff that he is ready for competitive action.
Carlo Ancelotti had considered including the Barcelona forward in the squad, but the final medical evaluation has ruled him out of facing Norway.
Not entirely ruled out of World Cup
Despite missing the Norway fixture, there is optimism that Raphinha could return should Brazil progress to the World Cup quarterfinals.
Raphinha is not completely fit. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Brazil’s medical team remain determined not to take unnecessary risks, especially considering the player’s recent injury record.
Raphinha has struggled with muscle issues throughout the year, limiting his ability to maintain continuity at both club and international level.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s medical department is closely monitoring developments, maintaining regular communication with their counterparts in the Brazilian camp.
The Catalan club are eager to see the player recover fully before making his return to action.
For now, the club can only wait before seeing the Brazilian star back in action, with the hope being that the next Raphinha injury update brings more positive news ahead of the business end of the tournament.
