Hansi Flick has left Raphinha out of Barcelona's squad for the tricky trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray, and the call owes more to the medical room than the tactics board. Both player and coach signed off on it, wary of another setback.
An agreement between Flick and Raphinha
Flick confirmed last Friday that the Brazilian winger would not travel for Tuesday's meeting with Galatasaray in Turkey. The same agreement had already kept him out of Saturday's clash with Getafe.
Sources inside the club say Flick won't gamble with the player, not after last season. Raphinha was rushed back from injury then, picked up two more problems and spent a long spell on the sidelines.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper "Marca", a source close to the coaching staff said: "This time, we want to avoid any surprises."
That decision was unanimous. Had this been the Clasico, Raphinha might well have featured, but with a strong opponent waiting and big fixtures stacking up, both sides opted to give him more time to recover fully.
A special programme in Istanbul
The coaching staff have also scrapped plans to fly straight home after the Galatasaray match, keen to limit fatigue and the injury risk that comes with travel.
Barcelona's players will stay the night in Istanbul and train in the Turkish city before flying back on Wednesday, ahead of Saturday's La Liga trip to Real Betis.
Barcelona's squad for the Galatasaray clash
Flick named his official squad for the Galatasaray tie on Monday. Beyond Raphinha's absence, there were no real surprises.
The squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Joan Garcia, Livakovic, Szczesny.
Defence: Kounde, Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Xavi Espart, Cancelo, Balde, Farinanas.
Midfield: Pedri, Rodri, Gavi, Bernal, Fermin, Olmo.
Attack: Lamine Yamal, Gordon, Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus.