Barcelona can finally breathe again. Raphinha's sudden injury on Brazil duty against Australia sparked hours of anxiety among the Blaugrana faithful, but reassuring news has now arrived from the Seleção camp. The problem isn't serious, and the Brazilian is on his way back to Catalonia to start the countdown to his return. A fiery week awaits him against Getafe, Paris Saint-Germain and the Clásico.
Tension peaked during Brazil's friendly against Australia, when Raphinha asked to come off after feeling muscular discomfort. He reassured his club from the very first moment that there was no cause for concern, that he'd requested the change purely as a precaution, and that he would undergo thorough tests to confirm his fitness.
Barcelona's fears didn't come out of nowhere. The Catalan club endured similar scenarios last season every time their players were called up by Brazil, thanks to the gruelling journey of more than 40,000 kilometres to the other side of the world and the pressure of the matches. The Seleção play twice against Australia and twice against India during a congested international break.
The board and Hansi Flick's coaching staff moved quickly the moment they learned of their captain's injury. They demanded his immediate return to Barcelona to avoid any further risk, wanting him available under the club's own medical staff rather than stuck with the national team delegation.
According to Catalan newspaper "Sport", Raphinha's return journey will be long and exhausting, taking almost an entire day. That rules out any medical tests in Catalonia today, Wednesday.
The newspaper insists there is no great concern within the club. The injury doesn't appear serious at this stage, and barring any unexpected surprises in the results, the player will be ready for the Getafe fixture in La Liga.
"No need to rush" is the principle the Barcelona board say will guide their handling of the Brazilian's case, especially with such a congested and fiery schedule looming. A tricky trip to Galatasaray comes first, then an eagerly awaited meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, before the biggest occasion of all: the Clásico against Real Madrid.
The plan is for Raphinha to rest completely on Thursday as soon as he lands, then undergo the decisive medical tests at the Joan Gamper sports city on Friday. He'll gradually rejoin group training after that.