Nobody quite knows when Raphinha will be back. The Brazilian has sat out Barcelona's last two matches with discomfort in his thigh muscle, picked up on international duty with his national team.
The "Tribuna" website reports that Barcelona are eyeing the Paris Saint-Germain clash as his return date, provided his recovery sticks to the plan. Real Betis looks a game too soon.
A punishing run of fixtures awaits the Catalans. They travel to Real Betis on Saturday 17 October, then fly to France to face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday 20 October in the Champions League.
Real Madrid arrive at the Camp Nou on Sunday 25 October for the first Clasico of the 2026-2027 season. That makes the next few days decisive in judging whether Raphinha can feature in the showdown everyone is waiting for.
Hansi Flick and his staff want the winger back to full physical fitness before the European tie, which would hand him a shot at the Clasico five days later. The report stopped short of pinning down a return date.
Barcelona hardly looked short of firepower without him. They thumped Galatasaray 4-1 in the Champions League, with the sheer variety of their attacking options papering over the gap.
Everything now hinges on how the Brazilian's body responds over the coming days. Barcelona won't rush him back before he's fully fit, not with Real Madrid on the horizon.