Barcelona could make a major attacking change when they return to La Liga action, with Hansi Flick reportedly considering resting Raphinha after the Brazilian returned from international duty with a minor thigh issue. 🇧🇷⚠️
Although Raphinha is expected to be available for the Getafe clash on October 10, Flick has every reason to be cautious. The winger has been one of Barça’s most important players this season, and with huge fixtures against Galatasaray, PSG and Real Madrid coming up, there is little reason to take unnecessary risks.
If Flick decides to leave Raphinha out, the big question becomes: WHO LEADS THE ATTACK? 👀🔥
🇧🇷 Gabriel Jesus is one of the strongest candidates. The new No.9 has already scored twice despite playing only 41 minutes across four appearances, and he could finally be handed a much bigger opportunity to show what he can do in a Barcelona shirt.
🇪🇬 Hamza Abdelkarim is another option, although the youngster has barely featured so far. Flick could also consider a false-nine solution involving Dani Olmo, Fermín López, Anthony Gordon or Karim Adeyemi.
🔥 Raphinha may be Barça’s superstar right now, but Flick must think about the entire season, not just one match.
Could this be the moment Gabriel Jesus finally gets his big Barcelona opportunity? 👀🔵🔴
For Barça’s attack
Compare Barça’s replacement options
Assess the injury-risk tradeoff