With nine games to play, La Liga leaders Barcelona have been dealt an unhelpful blow during the international break, always a nervy time for domestic clubs and managers.
The news that Barcelona winger Raphinha is out of Brazil’s match with Croatia and potentially sidelined for five weeks is bad news for the Selecao, but arguably worse for the Blaugrana who are entering the crucial final stretch of their La Liga title defence, as well as challenging for the Champions League.
Raphinha will miss much of the domestic action but could be ready to represent Brazil at the World Cup finals, if his hamstring injury, picked up during Brazil’s loss to France, clears up as expected, but that is little or no comfort to Barca boss Hansi Flick.
The La Liga 2026 betting odds have the Catalans as clear favourites to retain their title and they have a good chance of success in Europe; but, at such a decisive time of the campaign, to lose a key player who has not been back in action for long is a real headache for the manager. Clubs feel totally hopeless at times like these and to see a player of Raphinha’s stature injured in a friendly fixture played in a different continent is hugely frustrating. Barcelona are considering taking formal action against FIFA; and this SBOTOP writer, for one, will be cheering them on.
The Blaugrana are reported to be ready to officially complain to the world football authority and they may be eligible for compensation through the FIFA Club Protection Programme. But that won’t be a huge amount of cash in the scheme of things, and Flick is much more concerned by matters on the pitch. He has a strong squad and plenty of attacking muscle, with Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal both firing, Marcus Rashford impressing and Robert Lewandowski beginning to gather momentum. He struggled for consistency in the early part of the campaign but Lewi is up to seventh place in the La Liga top scorers, with 11 goals, and looking like his old lethal self.
Vinicius update for Los Blancos
Another Brazilian hot shot, Vinicius Junior, has given his club, Real Madrid a scare during the international break, after the very same match that did the damage to Raphinha. The Los Blancos winger started Brazil’s game against France, which they lost 2-1 despite playing much of the second half against ten men. After the game Vinicius reported feeling some discomfort in his hamstring and he missed training with Brazil on Friday.
Hamstring injuries are notoriously difficult to manage, but Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has calmed Madrid’s fears, saying that Vinicius missed training as a precaution; and the Spanish press suggests that he will be fit to face Real Mallorca in La Liga at the weekend and Bayern Munich in the Champions League next week.
Much like Raphinha at Barcelona, Vinicius is a key player in the El Clasico world and, with Real Madrid trailing the Catalans by four points; bosses at the Santiago Bernabeu are desperate to have the Selecao star fit and available.
They won’t be delighted if their man lines up against Croatia.
Luis Garcia begins his reign at Seville
In other La Liga 2026 news there is a change in the dugout at Sevilla after the club announced last week that Luis Garcia has been named as Nervionense’s boss, on a contract which takes him to 2027.
Without a win in four and only one win in eight, sitting 15th in the La Liga table, only three points above the drop zone, Sevilla bosses moved to sack Matias Almeyda last week and appointed Garcia within 24 hours. The much travelled manager, now 53 years of age, has managed at Getafe, Villarreal, Real Mallorca and latterly Deportivo Alaves where he had a win ratio of 40%, and now he is tasked with reviving Sevilla’s season, before it is too late.
Almeyda was hoping to lead Sevilla into a new era, after a few difficult seasons, and he started pretty well, but 32 games in he ran out of steam…and luck.
Sevilla has been on the slide since finishing fourth in 2020, 2021 and 2022, landing in 12, 14th and then 17th last term. And for a side which recently dominated the Europa League, winning it five times between 2014 and 2023, to be flirting with relegation is a rapid fall from grace.
But with a squad led by Serbian midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, and including experienced players Ruben Vargas and Cesar Azpilicueta, Garcia has leaders on the pitch who can help him haul Sevilla away from the drop zone.
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