Barcelona confirmed on Friday that Raphinha will be sidelined for around three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in his right leg. The Brazilian winger now joins an increasingly crowded injury list at a crucial stage of the season.

Injury against Oviedo and more bad news

Raphinha picked up the injury during Barça’s 1-3 victory over Real Oviedo in LaLiga and had to be substituted in the 66th minute for Robert Lewandowski. The match also delivered another blow: goalkeeper Joan García sustained a tear in the meniscus of his left knee in the final play of the game. The young keeper will undergo surgery and is expected to be out for four to six weeks.

With these two casualties, Barça’s injury list grows even longer, already featuring Marc-André ter Stegen, still recovering from back problems, and midfielders Gavi and Fermín López.

Flick looks for solutions but gets some relief

Coach Hansi Flick now faces the difficult task of reorganizing his squad for upcoming matches in both the Champions League and LaLiga. With the first-choice keepers unavailable, Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will take over in goal. Flick will also need to turn to the academy, as third-choice keeper Diego Kochen is away with the United States at the U-20 World Cup.

However, it’s not all bad news for the Catalans. The club announced that both Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde trained with the group on Friday and could be cleared to return for Sunday’s clash with Real Sociedad.

Raphinha’s absence will be felt in attack, as the Brazilian has been an important option in the offensive rotation. The expectation is that he could return by mid-October, just in time for some decisive fixtures on Barça’s calendar.

With so many players sidelined, Barcelona will need to rely on squad depth and young talent to keep up their competitive level while waiting for their key pieces to return.