Barcelona Shock: Star Duo Raphinha and Marcus Rashford Benched Against Atletico Madrid - Here's Why
Barcelona has the opportunity to make significant progress toward securing their second trophy of the campaign on Thursday evening as they head to Spain's capital city.
The Copa del Rey semifinal opening match has come around quickly, with Barça facing off against Atlético Madrid in their battle for a spot in the April final. The Catalonian club enters as strong favorites to claim the trophy but must navigate past Diego Simeone's cunning squad.
Their task has become considerably more challenging due to a pair of setbacks before the opening leg at the Metropolitano, with Hansi Flick compelled to deploy a weakened attacking unit without Raphinha and Marcus Rashford.
Why Raphinha, Marcus Rashford Will Miss Copa del Rey Semifinal
Why Raphinha, Marcus Rashford Will Miss Copa del Rey Semifinal
Regrettably for the Blaugrana, two of their valuable players are sidelined with injuries for Thursday's pivotal match. Raphinha's absence has been officially announced by the team, with the Brazilian still not having resumed training after sustaining a thigh problem that kept him out of wins against Albacete and Mallorca.
The attacking midfielder is anticipated to rejoin the squad shortly but has been accompanied on the injury list temporarily by Rashford, who picked up a knee problem during the Mallorca fixture. Substituted just past the 60-minute mark in the 3–0 victory, the Manchester United loan signing will be unavailable for the journey to Madrid, according to an official team announcement.
Both flanking players have been essential to Barça's finest period of the campaign, securing 17 victories from 18 possible matches since the disappointing loss to Chelsea in November. This dominant run has seen them capture the Supercopa de España, advance to the Copa del Rey semifinals, secure direct qualification to the Champions League round of 16, and lead La Liga.
Rashford has contributed 20 goals and assists for Barcelona following his summer transfer, while Raphinha, though not as productive as the previous season, has also been involved in 18 goals across all tournaments. Such inventiveness and offensive prowess will be greatly missed against an unpredictable yet highly competitive Atlético side.
Barça will be eager to have both players return at the earliest opportunity, with the return leg scheduled at Camp Nou in early March.
Barcelona Latest Injury News
Barcelona Latest Injury News
On a more positive note, Frenkie de Jong is likely to be ready for selection after missing the encounter with Mallorca, strengthening a Barcelona midfield already without several important players.
The energetic, compact pairing of Gavi and Pedri are expected to remain unavailable until month's end, providing both with the possibility of participating in the semifinal's second leg scheduled for early March. Long-term casualty Andreas Christensen is also absent from the defensive line.
Thankfully, Flick possesses abundant options as he looks for substitutes for his injured talents. Lamine Yamal will maintain his position on the right flank while Robert Lewandowski remains available to spearhead the attack once again.
Ferran Torres presents another alternative centrally or on the wings, while the exceptionally impressive Fermín López poses a threat regardless of his deployment.
Though primarily a right-sided attacker, Roony Bardghji stays a feasible choice to shift to the left against Atlético, though he seems highly unlikely to start in Madrid.