According to Sport, Brazilian forward Raphinha returned to Barcelona on Thursday local time from Australia via Dubai. Due to swelling in his right thigh, he cut short his international duty and will undergo a medical examination arranged by the club on Friday to determine the severity of the injury.

Raphinha has arrived in Barcelona. The Brazilian forward was training with the Brazilian national team during the international break and returned from Australia via Dubai on Thursday local time. Due to swelling in his right thigh, he was unable to participate in Brazil's second friendly match against Australia and returned early. The journey back was lengthy, with Raphinha departing from Brisbane, transiting in Dubai, and then taking a regular flight to Barcelona. He was originally scheduled to arrive around 1:00 PM local time but ultimately landed later.

Both Barcelona and the player maintained a low profile during his return, avoiding media attention at the airport. After club security personnel at Terminal 1 of Barcelona-El Prat Airport's arrival area diverted reporters' attention, no images of the player leaving the airport were captured.

Now the medical examination results are awaited. According to internal club sources, the examination will take place on Friday to determine the exact extent of the injury. There is optimism within Barcelona, with the belief that the issue will not extend beyond the swelling detected by the Brazilian national team's medical staff.

Raphinha started in both friendly matches for Brazil during this international break. He played the full 90 minutes in the first match and started again in the second, wearing the captain's armband. The Barcelona forward played the first half and scored Brazil's equalizer but did not return to the field after halftime due to discomfort in his right thigh. This area is particularly concerning given the player's injury history, as he has repeatedly experienced muscle issues in the same thigh over the past year.

Barcelona wants to see the examination results before deciding on next steps. If the issue is ultimately confirmed to be only swelling with no more serious injury, head coach Hans-Flick will have the final say on whether Raphinha requires extra rest and whether it is worth taking any risks in the LaLiga return match against Getafe. The fixture schedule also reminds the team to remain cautious. After the league match, Barcelona will travel to Istanbul midweek for their second Champions League group stage match against Galatasaray on the 13th. Of course, all arrangements must await the examination results.

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