Raphinha: The shocking streak that will be cut short by his absence against Osasuna

Unfortunately, for FC Barcelona,  the forecasts about the absence of Raphinha and Ronald Araujo for the match against CA Osasuna have come true. Hansi Flick confirmed in the press conference prior to the clash against the Navarre team the absence of both players for the commitment of matchday 27 of LaLiga EA Sports.

These absences are based on the need for optimal rest after participating in the FIFA date with their national teams (Ronald Araujo played 90 minutes with Uruguay and Raphinha 180' with Brazil) and the return trip to the Catalan capital. Given the urgency of time, it seemed unlikely that both players would have adequate rest to face a match of maximum demand.

With this in mind, Hansi Flick will be forced to deal with the resolution of these two absences for the match against Osasuna, perhaps the most important being that of Raphinha. The left winger, who had a bittersweet FIFA date, shining in the clash between Brazil and Colombia (2-1) with a goal and an assist, but facing a harsh defeat of 4-1 against Argentina, their classic rival, is the player with the most offensive contributions for FC Barcelona so far this season 2024-25, with a total of 47 participations (27 goals and 20 assists) in 43 matches.

The streak that Raphinha will see cut short by his absence in the match against Osasuna

The absence of Raphinha is so relevant and crucial for FC Barcelona that this will be the first time this season that the Porto Alegre forward will not be available for Hansi Flick, at least regarding LaLiga. It is worth noting that 'Rapha' is currently one of the players who has accumulated the most minutes this season, with a total of 3,441', only surpassed by Jules Koundé (3,541').

It is also important to point out that of the 27 LaLiga matches played so far by FC Barcelona in the 2024-25 season, Raphinha has seen action in all of them, starting in 26 of them. Interestingly, the only occasion he started on the bench was in the match of matchday eight against CA Osasuna, which would have been his opponent again, coming on in the 59', in place of Pablo Torre.

Furthermore, of the 27 matches in which Raphinha has played in the domestic competition, he was present for the full 90 minutes in 19 of them, demonstrating remarkable consistency in his performance. Additionally, it is highlighted that Hansi Flick has not been without 'Rapha' on many occasions outside of the league competition, as adding the matches from the UEFA Champions League (10), Copa del Rey (four), and Supercopa de España (two), the '11' only missed one, specifically in the start of the Copa del Rey against UD Barbastro (0-4), where he was not even called up.

Who will replace 'Rapha' in the starting XI?

Therefore, for the first time in 43 matches and due to bad luck, not a technical decision, Hansi Flick will not be able to count on Raphinha. It will be necessary to consider what options exist to replace him, perhaps the most suitable being the versatile Ferran Torres, who can also play as a left winger. Moreover, the option of introducing a tactical variant by omitting a forward to incorporate a midfielder is not ruled out, an area of the field where Barça currently has more players.