It had now been two months since Raphinha had last set foot on a lawn. Injured in the thigh since September, the Brazilian winger experienced several relapses, before playing again for around ten minutes this Saturday against Athletic Bilbao (4-0) during Barça’s big return to the Camp Nou.
Now fully recovered from her discomfort, Raphinha is part of the group which will face Chelsea this Tuesday for the fifth day of the Champions League (9 p.m.). However, his return was not obvious.
In a pre-match press conference, the Auriverde striker looked back on his long period of convalescence. “I’ve been away for two months and it’s quite hard, he first explained. I went through a very difficult time. It was a test. I always want to be on the pitch to help the team, and staying two months without playing was hard for me. »
“I made a mistake in wanting to come back faster”
In fact, Raphinha delivered a blunt observation. “ I had two relapses. The first was partly my fault, and the second too. I take full responsibility for the two relapses in order to be able to return to the field as quickly as possible. »
The fault was precipitation during his convalescence period. “I made a mistake in wanting to come back fasterconcedes the Barça player before this evening’s shock.
I missed playing with the team even more than just being on the field. I always strive to give my best on the pitch. »
