Raphinha chose to undergo ear surgery earlier than Barcelona preferred so he could play for Brazil’s upcoming friendlies, then continued to feature for Barcelona with a protective bandage, a decision that has prompted concern over his workload and travel.
Ear injury and the decision to operate
At the start of October, Raphinha suffered a blow to the head that injured his left ear, with the affected area swelling and causing him severe pain. Spanish newspaper Marca, citing Brazilian reports, revealed that Raphinha underwent removal of a sebaceous cyst from his ear on 26 October, following the Clasico against Real Madrid. Marca reported that the protective bandage wrapped around his head in recent matches is explained by the removal of this sebaceous cyst.
Barcelona would have preferred to postpone Raphinha’s ear operation until the current international break, in order to avoid exposing him to additional strain during the season and to give him a chance to recover away from the pressure of matches. Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte explained that managing Raphinha’s ear injury mid-season was no simple task, and stated that painkillers alone could not manage the problem. According to Globo Esporte, the options for his ear injury were repeatedly draining the accumulated fluids or undergoing surgery. Raphinha chose surgery.
Determination to answer Brazil’s call
Raphinha’s decision over his ear injury was driven by his desire to answer the call of the Brazil national team, and he wanted the surgery done quickly so he would not have to miss Brazil’s upcoming friendlies. Reports state that Raphinha refused to give up his place with the national side.
While the wound from his ear surgery healed, Raphinha missed some training sessions, before returning in time to feature for Barcelona wearing a bandage to protect the surgical site. He scored twice in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Alaves while wearing the protective bandage, and added two goals against Aston Villa in the Champions League while still sporting it.
Catalan media criticism and Brazil staff’s view
Raphinha’s choice to link up with Brazil has sparked anger in the Catalan media, where there are fears he could pick up a fresh injury during the international break. Some voices in the Catalan media turned on him over his decision to join the national team, and one commentator branded his departure a “robbery” and demanded he be stripped of the captain’s armband.
Journalist David Sanchez questioned the point of calling Raphinha up for a third time given his physical condition and the risks it carried. At the same time, Carlo Ancelotti, described as Brazil’s head coach, and his assistant staff appreciate the decision to bring Raphinha’s surgery forward, reckoning that it spared them his absence for the last friendlies of 2026 against Japan and Singapore.
Club–country coordination and captaincy plans
Raphinha faces a round trip of roughly 22,000 kilometres with the Brazil national team, and Barcelona worry that he could come back injured again after his recent physical problems and the long journey. Barcelona’s management have contacted the Brazilian Football Confederation to coordinate over how many minutes he plays, as they want to limit the fatigue piling up from his matches and travel with Brazil.
Rodrigo Caetano, described as the national teams’ coordinator at the Brazilian Confederation, confirmed that the technical staff are monitoring the players’ physical condition in cooperation with their clubs. “We have reports from the clubs, and we covered the entire training period,” he said, adding: “We see that Ancelotti and his technical staff are already monitoring all the players' playing minutes, and the strain and fatigue they are exposed to.”
Caetano continued: “He only pointed out the need for this to continue in order to maintain the best possible physical condition.” He also stressed: “For us, what matters is what we know about the player and our trust in him, and his level of commitment to the national team is extremely high.”
Raphinha is expected to keep the Brazil captain’s armband for two friendlies in the absence of Marquinhos, while the Brazilian technical staff are weighing up some changes to the leadership group and a rotation system.
