Raphinha, a difficult mission (also for Flick)

BarcelonaWith 14 goals in the first eight games, Raphinha earned the title of being the most decisive player of Barça's start to the season. Figures that most likely would have been even better if the Brazilian had not been injured with the national team, which is why he has missed the last two games with the Blaugrana squad. It was not a serious injury, just an edema in his thigh, but he has been away from the team for a couple of weeks. Now he is available again, and he is –together with Frenkie de Jong– the big news in the squad list for this Saturday's match at Betis' field (6:30 PM, DAZN).

"If you ask him, he tells you he is available to start. But I think we have to take it step by step," said the Blaugrana coach at the pre-match press conference, where he confirmed that Raphinha would travel to Seville. An atypical trip, since, as the match is on Saturday afternoon, the expedition leaves a day earlier and not on the same day of the clash. This also conditions the last session at the Ciutat Esportiva, which is moved to Friday afternoon and not the morning, as is usually the case. A decision that intends, above all, to manage the team's workload in the middle of a very demanding stretch of matches, which includes games against Betis, PSG, and Real Madrid.

Raphinha was not at all happy that the doctors prescribed a few days of rest. The Brazilian was wary because of what happened last season with the national team, in which he was seriously injured, and he did not want to be blamed for returning, once again, from theseleção with muscle problems. He accepted the decision, although since they were minor problems, he asked that the club not issue any official statement. Initially, it was supposed to be three away games, against Getafe, Galatasaray, and Betis –as president Joan Laporta anticipated–, but finally, they remained at two. "Yesterday [Thursday] he trained and it went well. We have many games, so we have to manage it. The best news is that he is available," Flick noted before publishing the list of players called up.

Without Raphinha, Barça has maintained its goalscoring instinct with seven goals in the last two matches. It was Flick who thought of him as a possible center-forward, and during his absence, the position has been covered by Gabriel Jesus, Anthony Gordon, and Hamza Abdelkarim as a classic number nine and Dani Olmo as a false striker. The team has shown it has enough squad depth to continue scoring and winning, but Raphinha, who already saw back in the day how a 16-year-old boy took his place on the right wing (Lamine Yamal), does not even want to hear about anyone taking his place in the starting eleven, and even less so now that he has found a position in which, to the surprise of many, he is having a performance even superior to what he offered on the wing.

Taking into account that Raphinha is an explosive footballer, and that, therefore, it is more complicated for him to manage his efforts compared to other teammates, the doctors recommended caution and wanted him to miss the Betis match as a precaution. But the forward has accelerated the timeline and Flick, who has been able to verify in person that he is already recovered, could not say no to him. Although, considering the coach's words, it seems difficult for the Brazilian to start at La Cartuja – Betis' provisional stadium while construction is underway at the Benito Villamarín – and that he will wait until the second half to take the field.

Raphinha's physical recovery has not been the only topic of conversation at the Ciutat Esportiva, as the Brazilian has also taken advantage of the last few days to finalize the details of his renewal. The technical secretary, Deco, already said at the assembly of members that a principle of agreement had been reached for him to extend his link with Barça until 2030. According to what this newspaper has learned, the agreement is total and the contracts have already been drafted; only the signing is missing. Since he is not just any footballer, both the club – represented by president Joan Laporta – and the player are trying to align schedules to hold a formal act with full honors. Initially, it had been thought for this Thursday, although it had to be postponed due to a calendar issue. At the club, they insist that everything is ready and it is just a matter of setting a day and time.

De Jong also returns to the squad list

The other proper name for the Betis-Barça match could be that of Frenkie de Jong, who returns to a squad list after getting injured with the Netherlands during the World Cup. The Dutchman, who finally avoided surgery, is now recovered from his knee injury and has been training on the grass at the Ciutat Esportiva for days. But his case is special. Flick, with this summer's signings – especially that of Rodri – already has the midfield well covered, which is why it is not expected, at least in the short term, that De Jong will be a very prominent piece in the Blaugrana engine room. If the match conditions are good, he could get a few minutes in the second half. Be that as it may, his return to the team will be gradual.