Journalism of Courage
Big blow for India vs Brazil as Raphinha leaves squad, set to miss Kolkata clash
The Brazilian Football Confederation said in its statement that Raphinha had "a small muscle oedema" following a scan.
Brazil's Raphinha, center, has a shot past Australia's Alessandro Circati, left, during their international friendly soccer match in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
In a blow to Indian fans in Kolkata who were looking forward to watching Raphinha in action against India on Saturday, the Barcelona forward left the national team on Wednesday as a precaution due to swelling in his right thigh. This means that the player is unlikely to take part in the highly anticipated friendly match with the Blue Tigers on Saturday.
As per Reuters, the Brazilian Football Confederation said in its statement that Raphinha had “a small muscle oedema” following a scan. The 29-year-old was substituted at halftime during his side’s 4-2 friendly win over Australia on Tuesday, sparking concern in Barcelona-based media that they may be about to lose a key player to injury.
Earlier, chelsea’s Brazilian star Joao Pedro, who was also named in the squad for the India and Australia tours, was ruled out due to a knee injury.
Raphinha was limited to 33 club appearances last season due to fitness issues and missed four games in April because of a hamstring problem in the same leg, which he also sustained while on international duty.
Last Friday, manager Carlo Ancelotti had selected Raphinha to play the full match in a 1-1 draw with Australia, during which he assisted Rayan’s late equaliser. Raphinha has been in fine form this season, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists in his eight appearances for his club side. Barcelona are next in action on October 10, hosting Getafe in LaLiga.
Fot India and Kolkata fans, this was a big loss as Raphinha was one of the biggest starts in this Brazilian side. It will be the first time India will play a side ranked in the top five of the FIFA rankings, with Brazil currently ranked fifth.
India have almost never been in the conversation when it comes to competing in the tournaments that Brazil tend to be interested in, but the cultural significance of the latter can be seen whenever a World Cup comes around, particularly in regions like Kolkata and Kerala.
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