Rafinha’s Injury Setback Clouds Barça as El Clasico Looms

Injury setback ahead of El Clasico

Barcelona have been dealt a tough blow as Rafinha re-aggravates a right thigh muscle injury, delaying his comeback and clouding plans for the eagerly awaited El Clasico against Real Madrid.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Rafinha is still struggling with the right biceps femoris issue that sidelined him in recent weeks, postponing his official return by several more weeks.

Sources say he underwent a fitness test at team training on Friday but did not feel fully comfortable, leading coach Hansi Flick to decisively rule him out of the Clasico to avoid risking a further setback.

Impact on Barça’s attack

The setback disrupts Flick’s plans to field Rafinha in the Madrid clash, forcing a recalibration of Barça’s forward line.

Some close to the locker room suggest rushing Rafinha back would have been ill-advised; the priority now is a complete recovery, especially with Rafinha being a key piece of Barcelona’s attacking system along with Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski.

Rafinha by the numbers

Since arriving at Barcelona in the summer of 2022 from Leeds United for around 58 million euros, Rafinha has become a crucial attacking outlet. He has played 151 matches across all competitions, contributing 57 goals and 53 assists, in over 10,000 minutes on the pitch.

In the 2024-2025 season, he featured in seven matches—six in La Liga and one in the Champions League against Newcastle United—scoring three goals and claiming two assists before the latest setback.

Clásico context and current form

Barça approach the clash with Real Madrid after a solid league campaign, having played nine matches with seven wins, one draw, and one defeat. The draw came with Real Valladolid, while a heavy 4-1 loss to Sevilla sparked debate over Barça’s defense. Real Madrid, in turn, also played nine games with eight wins and one defeat, sitting just two points behind Barça in the standings.

Last season’s head-to-heads tell a different story: Barça recorded a commanding 4-0 league win in the first Clasico under Flick, followed by a 5-2 Super Cup triumph in Saudi Arabia and a dramatic 3-2 win in the Copa del Rey final after Madrid briefly led. In the second-leg Liga clash, Barça produced a late comeback to win 4-3 at the Bernabéu, underscoring Barça’s recent dominance. The upcoming Clasico, however, looks different with Rafinha out and Madrid energized by new stars like Mbappé and Bellingham. Flick remains hopeful that Barça can sustain success and reassert themselves at the summit, even as depth is tested ahead of the showdown.