Barcelona has suffered greatly throughout the season from injuries sustained while on international duty. Rafinha’s recent injury while on international duty with Brazil has undoubtedly increased concerns about the other players currently on international duty.
Rafinha will be sidelined for between one and five weeks after suffering a muscle injury while playing for Brazil against France in a friendly match in the United States.
Now, the Catalan club fears that Lamine Yamal could suffer the same fate, especially given the recent incidents in September and October that strained relations with the Spanish Football Federation.
Barcelona Asks De la Fuente to Exclude Yamal from the Egypt Friendly
According to the newspaper “Sport,” Barcelona has contacted the Spanish Football Federation, explicitly requesting that Lamine Yamal not be included in the upcoming friendly match against Egypt for fear of him suffering another injury.
At worst, Barcelona has no objection to the 18-year-old playing against Egypt, provided his playing time does not exceed 45 minutes. This is to prevent any muscle fatigue that could negatively impact the player during the crucial remaining period of the season.
Yamal played 63 minutes in Spain’s first match of the current international break, against Serbia, which ended in a 3-0 victory for La Roja.
Egypt vs. Spain Friendly Match Before the 2026 World Cup
While Spain defeated Serbia 3-0, the Egyptian national team crushed their Saudi Arabian counterparts 4-0 in a friendly match in Jeddah on Friday.
Egypt is scheduled to meet Spain next Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Espanyol’s stadium in a friendly match as both teams prepare for the 2026 World Cup.
The Pharaohs vs. Spain match will kick off at 9:00 PM Cairo time (10:00 PM Mecca time).
Barcelona has lost many stars to injuries while on international duty
Over the past few years, Barcelona has lost several players to injuries during international breaks. Gavi is undoubtedly the most painful example for the Blaugrana.
At the age of 18, Gavi had become one of Barcelona’s most important players, but fate dealt him a cruel blow: a cruciate ligament injury in November 2023 while playing for Spain against Georgia.
At the time, coach Hansi Flick criticized Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, for playing him in a match that was practically decided. Since then, the player has never fully recovered.
Lamine Yamal also suffered an injury while on international duty with Spain last September, forcing him to undergo surgery in January.
The latest victim is Rafinha, who finds himself sidelined at a crucial time. Barcelona faces Atlรฉtico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals and has a number of important matches ahead in their La Liga campaign.
๐จ๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: After Raphinha’s injury, Barcelona have asked Spain NOT to play Lamine Yamal vs Egypt, or at least not longer than 45 minutes.
The FC Barcelona technical staff is very upset as they view Raphinha as an absolute key player, they don’t want to lose anotherโฆ pic.twitter.com/XsXqORFBRR
โ The Touchline | ๐ (@TouchlineX) March 28, 2026
Flick is furious with Brazil over Rafinha’s injury
The German coach doesn’t understand how the player could be brought on immediately after a long and tiring journey, making the injury seem logical due to poor workload management by the Seleรงรฃo.
There’s a palpable sense of sadness throughout Barcelona. The club is furious, especially since Rafinha has suffered numerous muscle injuries throughout the season and didn’t need another one at this crucial time.
If Rafinha is sidelined for more than 28 days, Barcelona will receive compensation from FIFA. However, the Catalan club isn’t concerned, considering it a small consolation given the player’s importance and the upcoming tough matches in La Liga and the Champions League.
