Raphinha will begin Barcelona’s La Liga clash against Real Betis on the bench, leaving Hansi Flick with an important decision to make as the Spanish champions navigate a demanding stretch of fixtures. The Brazilian winger has returned to the squad ahead of Saturday’s meeting in Seville, but his absence from the starting lineup has a specific explanation that could prove crucial to Barcelona’s ambitions over the coming days.
Barcelona travels to the Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday, October 17, looking to maintain its perfect start to the 2026-27 La Liga campaign. Flick’s side sits top of the table with 24 points from eight matches and arrives after a convincing 4-1 Champions League victory over Galatasaray.
Real Betis presents a serious challenge, however, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side sitting third on 19 points and enjoying an impressive run of form. The hosts have also beaten Real Madrid this season, making this one of Barcelona’s toughest domestic tests so far.
The Brazilian’s absence has not prevented Barcelona from maintaining its impressive momentum. The Catalan club defeated Getafe 3-0 before dismantling Galatasaray 4-1, scoring seven goals and conceding only once across the two matches.
Lamine Yamal has continued to lead the attacking charge, while Gabriel Jesus and other forward options have helped compensate for Raphinha’s absence. His return nevertheless provides Flick with another important weapon as the schedule becomes increasingly demanding.
Why Raphinha is not starting against Real Betis
The main reason for Raphinha’s absence from the starting XI is Barcelona’s decision to manage his recovery carefully following a right-thigh injury sustained while playing for Brazil against Australia on September 29. The problem forced him to miss the victories over Getafe and Galatasaray, interrupting an otherwise excellent start to his season.
Raphinha returned to full-team training shortly before the Betis match and was included in Barcelona’s travelling squad. However, Flick is unwilling to rush the winger straight back into a full match, particularly with several major fixtures approaching.
“If you ask him, he will tell you he’s ready to start, but I have to take it step by step,” Flick explained. “He trained well with the group, but we still have many matches to play in the coming days and weeks, so we have to manage it. The good news is that he’ll be available.”
Flick has a bigger plan for the Brazilian
According to journalist Javier Miguel of AS, Flick plans to give Raphinha approximately 15–20 minutes against Betis, depending on how the match develops. The intention is to rebuild his match fitness gradually while preparing him for a potentially more important role in Barcelona’s upcoming Champions League encounter.
Barcelona travels to face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, October 20, before meeting Real Madrid in El Clásico on October 25. Flick reportedly wants Raphinha ready to start against PSG, making Saturday’s limited involvement part of a broader workload-management strategy.
