Raphinha to travel nearly 35,000km for Brazil friendlies as Barcelona express injury concerns

Raphinha, Vinicius Jr and Endrick will travel almost 35,000 kilometres and spend about 50 hours in the air over the next few weeks to play three Brazil friendly matches in Australia and India, a itinerary that has prompted concern at Barcelona about potential injuries to Raphinha during the international break.

The Barca forward has a history of picking up injuries on international duty and has previously complained of returning from national team trips feeling tired and worn out. Raphinha has scored 12 goals in just seven games this season, a return that increases Barcelona’s caution over his participation in the upcoming friendlies.

Brazil will play three friendlies in different countries — two matches in Australia and one in India — requiring the trio to cover close to 35,000 kilometres and endure roughly 50 hours of travel, a distance the report equated to about 87% of the way around the Earth.

Club sources have warned the long flights and congested schedule could be problematic for Raphinha, who reportedly dislikes flying and has previously suffered setbacks linked to international call-ups. Those experiences have contributed to Barcelona’s heightened worry ahead of the break.

The combination of extensive travel and multiple short, low-pressure international fixtures has been identified as creating a greater risk of fatigue or injury for the players involved. After so many hours in the air and so many minutes of games with little to no competitive pressure, there is a chance of getting tired or hurt.

Barcelona will not play again until October 10, when they host Getafe, leaving a limited window for Raphinha to return to the Blaugrana setup and for the club to assess his condition before that fixture.