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Barcelona star Raphinha is reportedly set to miss the El Clásico against Real Madrid. The two arch-rivals will face off at the Santiago Bernabeu in LaLiga on Sunday, October 26.
Raphinha last featured for Barcelona in their 3-1 win over Real Oviedo away in LaLiga on September 26. However, he has been out of action since then due to a hamstring injury. He returned to training earlier this week, and there was optimism that he could feature in the El Clásico.
However, as per journalist Gerard Romero, he had "bad feelings" towards the end of the training session on Friday, October 24. He didn't complete the session with the entire team and will miss the big clash against Real Madrid.
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It is a big loss for Barca, as Raphinha was one of their best players last season, helping them win the domestic treble. He scored 34 goals and provided 26 assists in 57 games across competitions and finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or rankings. This season, the Brazilian attacker has made seven appearances, scoring three goals and contributing two assists.
Notably, the Blaugrana will also be without head coach Hansi Flick on the sidelines for their clash against Real Madrid. He is suspended after receiving back-to-back yellow cards in the Spanish top-flight.
Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo on facing Real Madrid
The Blaugrana had a brilliant 2024-25 campaign, as they beat Real Madrid four times across competitions. Apart from LaLiga, Barcelona also beat Los Blancos in the Supercopa de España and Copa del Rey finals.
Ahead of the El Clásico on Sunday, Barca centre-back Ronald Araujo has expressed confidence in his side to win, saying (h/t fcbarcelona.com):
“We’re in good form. We have a competitive squad, and we have the quality and the conditions to win.”
He added they need to “enjoy it ... It’s a beautiful and important match, and that’s why there’s always a bit of anxiety. But in the Clásicos where we’ve enjoyed ourselves, things have gone well. And that’s what we have to do.”
Araujo has faced the Merengues 12 times across competitions, winning six times and losing six times.
Meanwhile, Hansi Flick's side are second in LaLiga standings after nine games, sitting two points behind Real Madrid. They hammered Olympiacos 6-1 at home in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 21. Los Blancos, meanwhile, beat Juventus 1-0 at home in their Champions League fixture.
