Raphinha's Promising Start Cut Short
Raphinha's promising display came to an abrupt end before halftime after the winger suffered a muscle injury and was forced off in Brazil's victory over Haiti, where Brazil secured a 3-0 victory. Unlike the Morocco game, Raphinha had a good start against Haiti on the attack. He scored a goal with a brilliant strike, but it was ruled out due to offside.
CBF Confirms Muscle Injury
The Brazilian Football Confederation issued an official statement regarding medical examinations on Raphinha.
"On Saturday, athlete Raphinha underwent an imaging exam that confirmed a muscle injury in the posterior region of his right thigh. The player will follow an intensive treatment protocol, monitored by the Brazilian National Team's medical team, aiming for his recovery and return to activities as quickly as possible," says the CBF statement.
The statement confirms that Raphinha has an injury on his right thigh. The player had similar hamstring injuries this season with Barcelona, sidelining him for 23 matches across all competitions for the club.
Scotland Clash Comes Too Soon
According to Globo Esporte, Brazil's team’s medical department sees the results of medical examinations as positive, but the player will miss the next group match against Scotland, which is pivotal for the team; they expect Raphinha to be available for the round of 16 if the team advances.
Why Brazil Have Not Set a Timeline
The Brazilian Football Confederation didn’t mention any timeline for the player’s return because it's a recent injury and there are edemas and swelling that preclude immediate precise medical diagnosis on the player, so the national team doctors will observe Raphinha's injury for the next few days; however, they feel positive about the player's availability for later stages.
Brazil will face Scotland on 24 Jun at 18:30 UTC in Miami to secure a spot in the knockout rounds; Raphinha will not be available for the match, and Neymar is also likely to miss it.