Barcelona furious with Carlo Ancelotti after Raphinha injury scare during Brazil duty

The Catalan giants endured a tense period this week when Raphinha was forced off at half-time during a clash against Australia. The premature substitution immediately raised alarms back in Spain, with initial fears suggesting a potentially severe layoff for the prolific attacker.

According to El Chiringuito, the situation has sparked intense anger within the Barcelona camp directed squarely at Ancelotti. The club are reportedly incensed by the former Real Madrid manager's heavy reliance on their forward throughout the international window.

Ancelotti opted to keep Raphinha on the pitch for the entirety of the first friendly against Australia before handing him another start in the second fixture. This relentless scheduling ultimately culminated in the attacker's first-half withdrawal.

The frustration at Camp Nou was further exacerbated by Ancelotti's conduct following the match. During his post-match media briefing, the manager entirely omitted any mention of Raphinha's fitness status or the nature of his early withdrawal.

Instead of addressing the enforced substitution, the coach chose to focus his press conference on showering praise upon Vinicius Jr. This perceived dismissal of a potentially serious injury to a key club player only served to deepen the resentment among the Barcelona hierarchy.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) swiftly released a statement confirming imaging tests revealed a "small" muscle oedema. According to reports, the decision to send the forward back to Catalonia was mutually agreed upon as a strict precautionary measure to prevent further muscle damage.

The scare is particularly alarming for Barcelona given the player's recent medical history. Raphinha missed more than 150 days last season after suffering four separate injuries to the exact same right thigh, including an enforced withdrawal against Haiti at the World Cup.

Prior to being replaced by Endrick at the interval, the winger had actually enjoyed a positive outing. He successfully converted a penalty during the 4-2 victory over Australia, ending an international goal drought that had spanned over 500 days.

Brazil will now hold a final training session in Brisbane before travelling eastward to Kolkata for Saturday's friendly against India. Ancelotti has opted against calling up a replacement for his stand-in captain, despite already navigating earlier injuries to Joao Pedro and Wesley.

Back in Spain, Barcelona face an anxious wait to determine their star attacker's readiness for a La Liga clash against Getafe on October 10. Preserving Raphinha's fitness is paramount for the Catalan giants, who have relied heavily on his blistering form this term, which includes 12 domestic league goals and a Champions League brace against Feyenoord.