Incredible: Triple Coincidence in Raphinha’s Injury

In a remarkable coincidence, FC Barcelona witnessed a familiar scenario on Friday as Raphinha faced an injury, prompting a first-half substitution against Mallorca at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Similar to the last league match against Athletic Bilbao, Raphinha, seemingly troubled with his right Achilles tendon after a challenge from Copete, made way for Fermín.

The uncanny resemblance lies in the fact that Raphinha sustained an injury on a Friday, playing as a midfielder, and left the field in the 37th minute. This déjà vu occurred previously on September 29, 2023, when he suffered an injury on the same day of the week against Sevilla (1-0), also playing in the central area. Interestingly, he also exited the field in the 37th minute, and Fermín was his substitute. In that instance, Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury in his right thigh, receiving medical clearance a month later on October 28, 2023. He missed four matches (Oporto, Granada, international break, Athletic, and Shakhtar Donetsk).

Despite the recurrence, Raphinha managed to leave the pitch under his own power. Xavi, commenting after the match, mentioned that the player had stated it was “just a knock.” The Brazilian forward suffered the injury in the 24th minute, brought down from behind by Copete within Mallorca’s penalty area. The Mallorca defender’s kick targeted Raphinha’s right Achilles tendon, leading to a penalty, which Gündogan failed to convert. The German international’s shot was guessed correctly by goalkeeper Rajkovic, who deflected the ball by diving to his left.

Nevertheless, Raphinha continued playing but requested a substitution 15 minutes after Copete’s challenge. Xavi, serving a suspension and watching the game from the stands, monitored his team’s performance while also keeping an eye on the Napoli vs. Torino match, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

With Raphinha joining the injury list, Barcelona’s medical room now houses seven occupants: Balde, Gavi, Pedri, Ferran, De Jong, and Marcos Alonso. However, the latter, who is already back in group training, could receive medical clearance for the upcoming Tuesday’s match against Napoli, the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16.