Barcelona sweat on Dani Olmo fitness after PSG loss before El Clasico
Barcelona will assess Dani Olmo’s condition before Sunday’s El Clasico after the midfielder was forced off during the 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, while Raphinha came through his return to the starting line-up without further physical trouble.
Barcelona turn attention to Real Madrid
Hansi Flick’s side travel back from Paris with their unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign over. The European champions PSG claimed a 4-2 home win against Barcelona, handing the Catalan club their first defeat of the season.
The immediate concern is Olmo, whose early departure has left Barcelona waiting for clarification from the medical staff. Raphinha said he did not yet know the nature of the issue.
“I don’t know what happened to Dani,” the Brazilian said. “We will speak with the coach and the doctor now to understand what happened.”
- Barcelona were beaten 4-2 in Paris by Luis Enrique’s side.
- Raphinha returned to Flick’s starting XI after resuming full training less than a week earlier.
- Olmo left the match prematurely, prompting a fitness assessment ahead of the weekend.
- Barcelona will now prepare to host Real Madrid on Sunday.
Raphinha encouraged despite Paris setback
Raphinha, who captained Barcelona, accepted that playing PSG away represented one of the toughest assignments available in Europe. He said the visitors had wanted a win or at least a point, but insisted the loss should not disrupt their form.
“We knew it was possible because they are two-time European champions and it is very difficult with their supporters behind them,” he said. “We wanted to take a victory or a draw, but it is not a big problem. These things happen, and we have only lost three points.”
The winger felt Barcelona showed they could match elite opposition, particularly in a contest between two possession-focused teams.
“They are an extremely well-organised team,” Raphinha added. “Even with this result, we competed properly. Both sides want the ball and we had possession too. It was a strong test and it proves that we can compete. The score does not matter, but we played well.”
Managed return delivers positive for Flick
Barcelona carefully controlled Raphinha’s workload after his recent training return, and the forward confirmed that his reduced minutes had been planned in advance.
“I had trained for less than a week, so the idea was for me to play fewer minutes,” he said. “I ended the game feeling well and strong. I am continuing to improve physically.”
Flick’s staff must now review the problems exposed in Paris while deciding whether Olmo can feature against Madrid. Raphinha expects the squad to respond quickly.
“We will see what the coach tells us about improving and being ready for the Clasico,” he said. Asked whether the defeat could damage Barcelona’s momentum, he replied: “It cannot affect it at all.”
