Raphinha returns to Barcelona this Saturday and is expected to play against Athletic Bilbao, as Hansi Flick confirmed, which already changes the tone of a match that marks the team’s official comeback to Camp Nou. The coach said the Brazilian will get a few minutes, even if not many, and that matters even more because Marcus Rashford is unlikely to play since he has a fever and missed the last two training sessions. For a team trying to keep pace while chasing Real Madrid, simply having Raphinha available already creates a different scenario.
The squad gets a boost with Raphinha back
The Brazilian’s recovery comes at a strategic moment in the season. Barcelona beat Celta de Vigo and Elche before the FIFA break but was still dealing with offensive limitations. Even in a short appearance, Raphinha expands Flick’s options and helps rebuild a sector that had been working in almost the same pattern for weeks. Flick said he was pleased with the winger’s physical progress and made it clear he plans to use him this weekend.
“Raphinha will be back, and we’ll see what he can offer tomorrow. Ten, fifteen minutes, we’ll see, but it’s a big step that he’s back,” he said.
Another key piece in the lineup is Lamine Yamal. The young forward was cut from the Spanish national team during the FIFA window because of a medical procedure that caused friction with the federation, but Flick said he trained well and is ready to play. On top of that, the two weeks of rest helped him recover from the pubalgia that had been bothering him. With Rashford out, Yamal becomes even more important to keep balance and depth in the attack.
Camp Nou returns to the spotlight
The match against Athletic marks a reunion Barcelona had been waiting for. The team spent more than two years away from Camp Nou because of renovations, and according to Flick, the open training session in early November showed how eager the fans are to fill the stadium again.
Athletic Bilbao arrives motivated by its win over Real Oviedo before the break and enters the match with a real chance to climb the table and fight for European spots. Ernesto Valverde’s team rarely makes anything easy and knows how to take advantage of moments when Barcelona is still adjusting, which forces Barça to stay locked in from the first minute.
Saturday becomes symbolic for Barcelona because it brings together elements the team hadn’t had at the same time in a long while. The club goes back to its home, gets an important player back and tries to keep its positive run in the league.