Hansi Flick will not be able to count on Raphinha for FC Barcelona's visit to Real Sociedad this Sunday (21:00 h). The German coach left the Brazilian out of the squad list for the 20th matchday of LaLiga EA Sports due to a knock suffered in the Copa del Rey round of 16 match against Racing de Santander.

According to the club's medical report, Raphinha is not suffering from an injury, but rather discomfort in his right thigh, which will keep him out as a precaution. The '11' had already been out for two months with a right femoral biceps injury that caused him to miss nine official matches between October and November.

In that regard, Flick preferred not to take risks with the 28-year-old winger. The manager had previously stated in the pre-match press conference before the match at Anoeta that Raphinha was a doubt, as the forward was unable to train with the group on Saturday. Ultimately, the club decided to rule him out to avoid a significant injury

When will Raphinha play for Barça again?

Beyond missing the match against Real Sociedad, the Brazilian international should return for Barça's next game. The Catalans will travel to the Czech Republic on Tuesday to face Sparta Prague on Wednesday the 21st (9:00 PM) for matchday 7 of the UEFA Champions League league stage.

Rapha could play against the Czechs again, although Flick must assess whether the player from Porto Alegre would be fit to be included in the lineup. The '11' was the MVP of the Spanish Super Cup, with braces against Athletic in the semis and against Real Madrid in the final.

In total, the 28-year-old player has scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists in 18 games (1,124 minutes) this season. Despite a two-month absence, the winger returned to his best form in December and was the most decisive player in the Blaugrana attack last month, with 9 goals produced (7G/2A) in his last 6 matches.

Raphinha had also missed the first-round LaLiga match against Real Sociedad (2-1), a game played in Montjuïc that the Catalans won with goals from Jules Koundé and Robert Lewandowski

More Absences for Barcelona Against Real Sociedad

For the 20th matchday of LaLiga, Hansi Flick will also not be able to count on **Pablo Gavi** and **Andreas Christensen**. Both are continuing their recovery processes from long-term injuries, with the Andalusian being the closest to returning. The '6' could reappear at the end of February, while the Dane will likely miss the rest of the season.

Academy players Jofre Torrents and Tommy Márquez will also not be available at Anoeta. Both played with the reserve team on Saturday and, as in the match against Racing, were not included in the Blaugrana squad. Pedro 'Dro' Fernández, for his part, was also ruled out due to his imminent transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.