Barcelona omit Raphinha for Galatasaray trip to avoid fresh injury

Barcelona have left Raphinha out of their squad for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Galatasaray, with Hansi Flick and the captain agreeing not to risk another muscle injury.

Match facts

Flick has opted for caution after Raphinha suffered two separate muscular relapses when his previous recovery was accelerated. Barcelona are protecting the winger’s condition ahead of an increasingly demanding schedule rather than forcing a return in Istanbul.

The decision was settled jointly by manager and player before Friday’s match against Getafe. Barcelona do not view the Galatasaray game as a contest worth taking an unnecessary fitness gamble on, with El Clasico set for Sunday, October 25, and major fixtures approaching.

Raphinha joins Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji among Barcelona’s absentees. Flick can still call on Lamine Yamal, Karim Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus in attack.

Barcelona will remain in Istanbul overnight rather than flying directly back to Spain. The squad are scheduled to train on Wednesday as Flick looks to manage recovery before the journey to Real Betis.

Galatasaray also have selection issues. Defender Wilfried Singo is injured, while Lesley Ugochukwu is unavailable through suspension.

Barcelona arrive after their 5-1 win over Feyenoord in their league-phase opener and can strengthen their position near the top of the Champions League standings. They have also won on each of their past three trips to face the Turkish champions.

What happens next: Barcelona face Galatasaray on Tuesday, then turn immediately to Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Real Betis as Flick monitors Raphinha’s recovery.