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Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti announced his 26-man roster for the November international break on Thursday, confirming the news every Barcelona supporter had been fearing: Raphinha will link up with the Seleção in the coming weeks.
Ancelotti made clear he is using this final international window of the year to continue evaluating young talent as Brazil embarks on a new chapter following yet another World Cup letdown. The Italian tactician has moved away from former stalwarts like Neymar and Casemiro to begin building the next generation, with the goal of having the team at peak form for the 2030 World Cup.
"At this moment, it's about observing, refreshing the squad and helping young players reach their full potential," Ancelotti stated on Thursday.
Barcelona supporters had hoped that philosophy would mean Raphinha's name would be absent from the November squad list. The winger had only just returned from a hamstring injury sustained during the September camp and could certainly have benefited from an extra two weeks of recovery time.
Yet despite starting just two matches for Barcelona since Sept. 19, Raphinha was still named in Ancelotti's squad for friendlies against Japan and Singapore.
Other experienced players, such as Alisson, were omitted. "We don't need to test Alisson. We know him very well. He is the best goalkeeper. When the Copa América starts, he will be called up, and the same applies to the others."
Injury Typically Follows Raphinha on International Duty
Raphinha has endured a difficult run in recent Brazil camps. In each of the last three call-ups under Ancelotti, he returned to his club nursing an injury.
During the March international break, Raphinha picked up a hamstring injury that sidelined him for more than a month. He missed key fixtures for Barcelona during that period, including both legs of the Champions League quarterfinals against Atlético Madrid — a tie that ended in elimination for Hansi Flick's side.
Raphinha then suffered yet another hamstring issue during last summer's World Cup. The 29-year-old did not feature in the Seleção's final three games of the tournament.
The misfortune continued during the September-October international break, when Raphinha returned early to Catalonia with a further hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for nearly three weeks.
Significant fixtures await Barcelona after this final international window, with none more important than a Champions League showdown against Manchester City on Dec. 8. On top of that, the Catalans cannot afford any more dropped points in La Liga after losing El Clásico to Real Madrid last weekend, a result that trimmed their lead at the top of the table to just three points.
Flick will be hoping Raphinha avoids yet another setback and returns to Barcelona in full health, ready to build on his impressive start to the campaign.
Brazil Squad for November International Break: Full List of Players
