Barcelona’s preparations for a critical run of matches have been hit by fresh injury blows, with Joan García and Raphinha both ruled out.

Barcelona announced on Friday morning that García suffered an injury in training and will undergo surgery on Saturday, performed by Dr Joan Carles Monllau, the same surgeon who operated on Gavi earlier this year. The 23-year-old goalkeeper is expected to be out for four to six weeks.

Just hours before that announcement, medical tests confirmed that Raphinha had picked up a hamstring injury in his right leg. Barcelona said the Brazilian forward will be sidelined for about three weeks.

The news comes at the worst possible time for Hansi Flick, who will now be without two key starters during a decisive stretch. Both players are certain to miss Sunday’s La Liga clash with Real Sociedad, as well as the Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain and the league fixture against Sevilla.

Still, Flick does have some good news to work with. Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde trained at full intensity on Friday and are expected to be available for the weekend. Their return adds much-needed depth to a squad suddenly stretched thin.

In García’s absence, Wojciech Szczęsny will step back into goal. The Polish international proved himself last season with several commanding performances and is trusted to steady the defence. Up front, Marcus Rashford is tipped to cover for Raphinha, with the English forward currently enjoying a strong run of form.

© 2025 Naija News, a division of Polance Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]