Barcelona winger pushing to be available for Real Madrid clash: “Want to be there”

Barcelona forward Raphinha has said that he is not sure if he will be ready for the El Clasico, although he did mention that he wants to be a part of the team that will take on Real Madrid at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on October 28.

While leaving the club facilities this afternoon, the Brazil international was asked by SPORT about his availability, to which he said,

“Arriving in time for the Clasico? I don’t know yet, but I want to be there,” he said.

Barcelona crippled with injuries

It’s no secret that the current Barcelona roster is crippled with injuries. This includes star midfielders Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, veteran forward Robert Lewandowski, and young defender Alejandro Balde has recently joined the list alongside Jules Kounde.

Now, we did report before that Raphinha’s recovery is going well and while he is expected to miss the game against Athletic Club, he might return against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League.

As it turns out, the aforementioned outlet has affirmed that it will not be the case anymore, meaning that only a return during the Clasico is the likely outcome.

Raphinha’s sensations are fine

Today, he was present at the Ciutat Esportiva, diligently advancing in his rehabilitation journey following the femoral biceps injury he picked during the match against Sevilla. 

Regrettably, this forced him to miss both of Barcelona’s recent clashes with Porto and the face-off with Granada. Furthermore, he will continue to be unavailable for the upcoming fixtures against Athletic and Shakhtar on October 22 and 25, respectively.

At this moment, only the likes of Pedri and Lewandowski seem confirmed for the big match against Real Madrid. As reported before, the midfielder will resume usual training next week and his sensations will determine whether he will play a part against Athletic Club and Shakhtar.

As for Lewandowski, his recovery is going better than expected and Barcelona will not force him into action in the upcoming matches.