Ousmane Dembele’s hamstring injury threatened to derail Barcelona’s season, with the French forward being ruled out for several weeks, having pulled up against Girona at the end of January.
Dembele has been in excellent form for Barcelona this season, so his injury was a big blow. However, it gave Raphinha the opportunity to get a consistent run of games under his belt, and the Brazilian has taken his chance.
Having been signed from Leeds United last summer, Raphinha has largely struggled during his time in Catalonia so far, but he has had a big impact in Barcelona’s last few fixtures. Having scored the opener in the victory over Real Betis, he provided a goal and an assist in the win against Sevilla.
Speaking ahead of the Europa League last 32 first leg against Manchester United, in which he is also expected to start, Raphinha admitted that it has been tough, but he is in a great place at the moment.
“I’m in my first season, so it’s normal to go through a period of adaptation. It happens with new players.
“I’m currently living my best moment at the club, but I’m still adapting. I can only thank my teammates, the staff and the coach because they are helping me.”
Raphinha will hope to show his worth to Barcelona once again against the Premier League giants on Thursday, as Xavi Hernandez’s side target European glory.
