Raphinha was once again the star performer for Barcelona as they secured a narrow 3-2 victory over last season’s finalist, Borussia Dortmund.
The Brazilian extended his goalscoring tally to 17 in all competitions, which is in addition to his ten assists in 23 matches.
However, for a brief moment, Raphinha had Barcelona fans worried as he appeared to be in some discomfort.
Just before being subbed off, Raphinha was limping off and wasn’t looking so good, raising fears that he may have picked up a fresh injury.
No injury for Raphinha
However, in a major relief for Barcelona, it appears Raphinha’s knock wasn’t serious and the player has not picked up any fresh injury.
According to COPE, Raphinha is fine and his discomfort against Dortmund was only borne out of cramps.
Raphinha is fine after an injury scare against Dortmund (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Even Hansi Flick confirmed in the post-match presser that Raphinha was only suffering an overload and was, in fact, not injured.
This is great news for Barcelona, who will continue to rely on the services of Raphinha as they brace themselves for a few more challenging fixtures this month.
Barcelona’s next assignment takes them back home, where they will face back-to-back matches against Leganes and Atletico Madrid.
Unfortunately for the Catalans, Hansi Flick won’t be available on the touchline on either of these matches, as the German had picked up a red card in the last game and has been sidelined for two matches.
Flick will return to the touchline for home matches in January end when Barcelona take on Valencia at the Montjuic.