FC Barcelona forward Raphinha faces a gruelling 22,000-kilometre round trip after being named in Brazil’s squad for upcoming November friendlies in Asia, raising familiar fitness concerns at the club. Carlo Ancelotti selected the winger on Thursday for matches against Japan on November 14 and Singapore on November 17, with both fixtures scheduled at the National Stadium in Singapore.

The call-up has triggered anxiety within the Catalan club due to a recurring pattern of physical setbacks following international duty. He subsequently suffered a muscular injury during the World Cup and during a previous international window featuring matches in Australia and India, which left him with a problem in the posterior of his right thigh that forced him out of fixtures against Galatasaray and Betis.

Asian Friendlies and Crucial Barcelona Fixtures

While Raphinha remains a core component of the squad, his integration back into club competition has been carefully managed. The forward recently returned to action for Barcelona following his latest muscular issue but has yet to complete a full match.

The timing of the international break places significant strain on Barcelona’s upcoming schedule. Upon returning from Asia, the squad faces a domestic home fixture against Villarreal on November 22 before undertaking a long journey to Azerbaijan to face Sabah in the UEFA Champions League on November 25. Raphinha has scored 15 goals and provided 3 assists for Barcelona this season.

Squad Selection Criteria and Club Exemptions

Ancelotti announced the squad from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, introducing several new faces while leaving out players from domestic title contenders. The CBF chose to exempt players from Palmeiras and Flamengo, as both clubs are locked in the Brasileirão title race and Palmeiras is preparing for the Copa Libertadores final against Estudiantes de La Plata in Montevideo on November 28.

Rodrigo Caetano, a CBF executive, addressed the selection parameters during the squad announcement. Due to the calendar of Brazilian football, which is being adjusted, and to the fact that we have the guarantee of this same November FIFA date — which is complex, as it coincides with the end of the Brazilian Championship — we have debated a lot to establish criteria that allow us to balance the situation. Given this situation, we established as a criterion to call up a maximum of one player from each Brazilian football club, with the exception of the two clubs fighting for the title (Flamengo and Palmeiras). Caetano explained.

Notable Inclusions and Absences in the Canarinha Roster

Alongside Raphinha, Vinícius Júnior and Endrick earned call-ups from Ancelotti, though Éder Militão was left out of the squad to continue his physical recovery at club level after recently returning from a long-term injury.

The Brazil squad features goalkeepers Pedro Morisco, Bento, and Lucas Perri; defenders Arthur Dias, Carlos Augusto, Douglas Santos, Gabriel Magalhães, Jair Cunha, Jonathan Jesus, Vanderson, Vitor Reis, and Wesley; midfielders André Luiz, Andrey Santos, Bruno Guimarães, Danilo, Gabriel Bontempo, João Gomes, and Marlon Gomes; and forwards Alisson Santana, Allan, Endrick, Estêvão, Raphinha, Rayan, and Vinícius Junior.

Next Fixtures on the Calendar

Brazil’s international schedule begins at the National Stadium in Singapore against Japan on November 14, followed by the match against Singapore on November 17. Barcelona resumes domestic competition at home against Villarreal on November 22 before travelling to Azerbaijan to play Sabah on November 25.