Raphinha had surgery after El Clásico to avoid missing Brazil friendlies

Brazilian outlet Globo reported that Barcelona captain Raphinha underwent surgery on October 26, after his side’s league defeat to Real Madrid, to remove a painful cyst from his ear. The area had been cut by a blow, then became infected and caused him severe pain.

The report said Barcelona had expected to postpone the operation until the international break, which would have prevented the player from featuring for Brazil. But Raphinha decided to bring it forward so he would be available for the national team, a decision said to have been appreciated by Carlo Ancelotti and his staff despite Barcelona’s preference to wait.

Raphinha missed some training sessions after the surgery but did not miss a Barcelona match. He returned against Alavés wearing a protective headband and scored twice in a 6-1 win, then featured in his side’s victories over Aston Villa in the Champions League and Atlético Madrid in the Spanish league.

Raphinha has since joined Brazil in the Far East to prepare for friendlies against Japan and Singapore. The report noted that Barcelona and Brazil had agreed to manage his playing minutes during the break, after the team captain returned injured from the previous international window. Raphinha had also spoken with Ancelotti about his playing time and reassured fans that there was no cause for concern.