How Have Raphinha’s Injury Layoffs Impacted Barcelona in the 2025/26 Season?

During Xavi’s time as manager, it appeared almost certain that Raphinha, the former Leeds United star, would be sold, given that he frequently played for less than an hour in many of his matches.

A Fresh Start under Hansi Flick

However, since the appointment of Hansi Flick as head coach, the Brazilian has enjoyed a resurgence.

As one of the team’s captains, Raphinha has embraced his role, demonstrating leadership with or without the captain’s armband. His influence has undoubtedly been a significant highlight of the Flick era.

While it’s accurate to say that his form in the 2025/26 season hasn’t matched his previous performance, he still boasts an impressive tally of 19 goals and seven assists across all competitions this season.

Unfortunately, a recent thigh injury—his third since August—has coincided with a troubling dip in Barca’s results, most notably marked by Atletico’s 2-0 victory at Camp Nou, their first win there in two decades.

Missing in Action during Atletico’s Triumph

Los Rojiblancos had previously claimed victory during Raphinha’s last absence, delivering a harsh 4-0 defeat to Barca in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

The team has managed to secure wins in his absence, including a straightforward victory against an Espanyol side struggling without a win for ten games, and a cup win at Albacete, but these matches hardly serve as benchmarks given the circumstances.

A more accurate indication of his absence’s impact came earlier this season when he missed nine consecutive matches across all competitions.

This period included a 4-1 defeat to Sevilla, a 2-1 loss in El Clasico against Real Madrid, and a 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Barcelona’s Struggles Against Top Opposition without Raphinha

Wins against Girona, Elche, and Olympiacos were more or less expected, revealing a visible pattern during Raphinha’s downtime.

In critical matches this season, Barca has struggled to perform, aside from the second leg last Tuesday.

Marcus Rashford has stepped up significantly in Raphinha’s absence, producing commendable statistics in his debut season with the club, even though he’s been somewhat of a supplementary player at times.

Nonetheless, as impressive as Rashford has been, he still doesn’t quite reach Raphinha’s level.

Impressive Stats Despite Injury Woes

The Brazilian’s relentless energy on the pitch is commendable; no ball is deemed beyond his reach.

In the current season, his goal and assist totals are only eclipsed by Lamine Yamal, who has played about 12 more games and roughly 1,500 additional minutes than Raphinha thus far.

With 57 crosses from open play, Raphinha ranks second only to Lamine in this area. His 30.4% success rate is just slightly behind Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo.

Fermin Lopez and Lamine have marginally surpassed Raphinha’s haul of 18 big chances created, while Rashford is the only one to have created more than the Brazilian’s 17 chances from set pieces.

With a tackle success rate of 50%, having won and lost 14 of his 28 attempts, Raphinha’s defensive efforts are decent for a player whose primary focus isn’t defence, though he has also made 15 clearances and eight interceptions.

A Role Model for Young Talents

One area where he could strive for improvement is his pass completion rate.

An 80.7% success rate doesn’t seem particularly poor until you compare it with the fact that only Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski fare worse in this statistic.

It’s clear that Raphinha is integral to the style of play that Flick envisions for Barcelona.

Pressuring opponents relentlessly while showcasing dazzling wing play is essential to the team’s approach.

The confidence, zest, and dynamism that Raphinha brings to the squad, as well as his development into a senior figure within the team, ensure he is a beloved member among teammates, coaching staff, and fans alike.

Considering how unsettled Atletico looked during the first half-hour of that recent UCL second leg, it’s easy to imagine the impact Raphinha could have had cascading down the left flank.

While that match was undoubtedly one of Barca’s standout performances of the season and indicated that they can cope without the Brazilian, it’s possible that with him on the pitch, the Catalans might have progressed to a semi-final clash against either Arsenal or Sporting at Atletico’s expense.

Even though the Blaugranes maintain a nine-point advantage in LaLiga, having Raphinha back for the final stretch of the season would be a significant boost for the club.