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Barcelona will look to reclaim their four-point lead at the top of the league table as they take on Real Sociedad at the Riyadh Arena this evening.
The big headline heading into this encounter is the absence of Raphinha. The Brazilian international has been left out of the squad list announced by Barça heading into today’s game.
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The Catalans, though, have also confirmed why Raphinha will be missing out on tonight’s game.
Why Raphinha will miss the game vs Sociedad
The club have released an official note regarding Raphinha’s fitness, suggesting that the Brazilian misses out on tonight’s encounter due to precaution.
Barcelona have further confirmed that Raphinha is suffering a knock to his right thigh, likely resulting in a dead leg. As a result, he has not been included in tonight’s squad.
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“First team player Raphinha sits out the game against Real Sociedad as a precaution due to a knock to the right thigh,” Barcelona have confirmed through a post on social media.
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It appears the club do not want to take any risks with Raphinha’s fitness, considering the fact that the forward had been suffering from an injury during the first half of the campaign.
Raphinha’s return to full fitness has had an immediate impact on the team’s performance, making Barcelona far more potent in the final third.
His impact has been backed by numbers as well, with the former Leeds United star already racking up 11 goals and five assists in all competitions.
With Raphinha ruled out, it will be interesting to see how Hansi Flick juggles his attacking unit. It is likely that Dani Olmo will start alongside Fermin Lopez in the final third, although a start for Marcus Rashford cannot be completely ruled out either.
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