According to a report by Barca Universal on Saturday, October 17, 2026, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is reportedly planning to start Gabriel Jesus against Real Betis on Saturday despite the return of Raphinha from injury.

According to La Porteria, the Brazilian striker is expected to lead Barcelona’s attack when the Catalan side travel to Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville for the La Liga encounter.

Barcelona have received a double fitness boost ahead of the match, with both Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong recovering from their respective physical problems and becoming available for selection.

The Catalan club also have an opportunity to achieve a historic milestone against Betis. A victory would bring them closer to matching Real Madrid’s record of nine consecutive wins from the start of a league season, set during the 1950s.

Jesus joined Barcelona from Arsenal during the summer in a relatively inexpensive deal and has made an encouraging start to life at the club. The 29-year-old has scored three goals so far this season, including one during his first start against Getafe last weekend.

However, Flick left the Brazilian on the bench for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Galatasaray in Istanbul. The German manager instead deployed Dani Olmo as a false nine during the European fixture.

Jesus is now expected to return to the starting lineup against Betis, which would mark only his second start of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Raphinha is unlikely to be rushed back into action despite recovering from the minor injury he sustained while representing Brazil. The Barcelona captain has scored 12 La Liga goals this season.

Flick confirmed that both Raphinha and De Jong were available for selection but indicated that the Brazilian’s playing time would be carefully managed.

The Barcelona manager wants his captain to be fully prepared for next week’s crucial Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain. As a result, Raphinha is expected to feature against Betis without starting the match.