Joan García and Raphinha are in doubt for Barça vs Getafe

FC Barcelona face a big selection question for their La Liga return this Saturday: Joan García (right knee) and Raphinha (right thigh) do not have a guaranteed starting spot for the Getafe match at 18:30 at Spotify Camp Nou, with Hansi Flick’s staff prioritizing caution.

Training in the meantime

According to Mundo Deportivo, both trained alone yesterday and the coaching team is weighing up whether to include them straight away or hold them back for the trip to Getafe, the first game after the international break.

Joan García missed the league game versus Sevilla on September 19 with a right-knee edema that, fortunately, did not affect the meniscus. Since then he has been doing physiotherapy and working separately from the group.

Raphinha’s thigh issue

Raphinha’s case is linked to a right-thigh edema picked up during Brazil’s second friendly against Australia on September 29. He returned early to Barcelona and did not play in Brazil’s friendly against India. Tests indicate no injury, but with him not yet training with the group and four days to go, the odds of him starting from the bench are rising.

Before the next league break in November, Barça also have fixtures against Getafe, Galatasaray, Betis, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Alavés, Aston Villa and Atlético de Madrid. Raphinha is currently Barça’s top scorer with 12 goals in the league.