Why is Raphinha not playing for Barcelona in key UEFA Champions League clash against Chelsea?
FC Barcelona are set to visit Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Matchday 5 of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League. In such a crucial matchup as they look to climb back into the direct-qualification spots, eyebrows were raised when star winger Raphinha was left out of the starting XI to face the Blues.
Raphinha won’t be starting against Chelsea due to a technical decision from head coach Hansi Flick. The German manager chose to keep the Brazilian on the bench to avoid pushing him too soon and risking another setback, as he is still recovering from the injury that sidelined him for two months.
Back against Real Oviedo, Raphinha ended up suffering a muscle injury in his right thigh, an injury that kept the 5th ranked in the 2025 Ballon d’Or sidelined for several games. In fact, the Brazilian ended up missing 6 La Liga games, and the last 3 Champions League games, now making his return to the squad.
In fact, coach Flick recognized that the club made several mistakes in Raphinha’s recovering process. “I don’t read much, but I’ve read this. What I can say is that I’m not angry with our medical staff. We have a very experienced team. In Raphinha’s case, we made mistakes. But that’s human nature. That’s all I have to say. There’s a lot of noise, but nothing concrete,” the German boss said in the pre match press conference.
Raphinha made his return to the first team last Saturday against Athletic Bilbao. Coming on as a substitute for Dani Olmo, the Barcelona star logged nine minutes in the 4-0 win, and against Chelsea he’s expected to see increased playing time, most likely in the second half.
Raphinha opens up on his injury
After a breakthrough 24-25 season where he recorded 34 goals and 26 assists, Raphinha saw his run stopped with this sudden injury early in the season. Barcelona also felt his absence as the team had rollercoaster performances, with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 3 defeats.
In the prematch press conference, Raphinha opened up on the struggles he had to face while being injured: “I had a really tough time; they were very difficult moments. I always want to be on the field helping the team and playing as many minutes as possible. Going two months without being able to play was very hard for me personally.“
The Brazilian star the set the expectations high ahead of his return on form. “I need match rhythm, and I hope to get back as quickly as possible to the version people expect from me. I’m trying to find my best physical form and recover 100% so I can give my absolute best on the field again,” Raphinha concluded.