Barcelona Seek Answers Over Raphinha's Recurring Brazil Injury Woes

Barcelona's board and medical staff are growing increasingly concerned by the fact that forward Raphinha consistently returns from Brazil duty carrying physical issues, reports Mundo Deportivo.

Following comprehensive examinations at the club's Ciutat Esportiva training complex in Sant Joan Despi, the Catalan medical team intends to hold in-depth discussions with the Brazilian star.

The alarm stems from three consecutive right-leg muscle injuries sustained after representing the Selecao over the past six months. Club specialists want to determine if there are specific differences in training load and warm-up routines under the national team setup, while also assessing the player's own feedback regarding the recurring problem in the exact same area.

The winger's issues on international duty date back to late March, when he picked up an injury during a friendly against France in Boston. That setback ruled him out of Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final ties against Atletico Madrid.

Later on, during the World Cup, Raphinha broke down again in the match against Haiti, which sidelined him for subsequent encounters against Scotland, Japan, and Norway.

Raphinha had made an impressive start to the club campaign under new fitness coach Benjamin Kugel, yet his latest international call-up has once again resulted in physical discomfort. Although the current knock does not appear severe, national team coach Carlo Ancelotti kept him on the pitch for the full 90 minutes in Australia last Friday despite a long-haul flight, before starting him again on Tuesday in the reverse fixture against the Socceroos, Mundo notes.