Barcelona have revealed Raphinha will be out for an indefinite period due to a thigh injury sustained in the Spanish Super Cup win against Osasuna.
The Brazil forward was withdrawn in the first half as Barca booked their place in Sunday’s final against arch-rivals Real Madrid in Riyadh by beating Osasuna 2-0 on Thursday night.
Barcelona said on their official website: “Tests carried out on the first-team player Raphinha have revealed that the he has an injury to his biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh.
“He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.
“The Brazilian forward was injured in the first half of the 2-0 win against Osasuna in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final and was replaced by Lamine Yamal.
“The game in Riyadh was Raphinha’s 20th appearance this season for the Blaugranes in which he has scored four goals.”
Raphinha was signed from Leeds in July for a fee worth up to £55million, having made 65 Premier League appearances for the Yorkshire club.
The 27-year-old has scored three goals in 15 LaLiga matches for the Catalans.
'It's an honour' - Flick delighted by Messi's Barcelona praise
Hansi Flick says it is an "honour" to hear Lionel Messi praise Barcelona's start to the season.
Flick took over as Barcelona head coach in May, with the club making an impressive start to LaLiga, as they sit top on 33 points after 13 matches.
They have won 11 of their games, losing the other two, while they are sixth in the Champions League table, just three points behind leaders Liverpool.
Messi, who spent 17 years at Barcelona before leaving to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, recently described Flick's team as "spectacular", in particular lauding his use of young players in the team.
The German has not shied away from using academy players during his time at Barcelona so far, with Lamine Yamal the standout of the bunch after he carried last season's form into this campaign.
Yamal is the only player across Europe's big five leagues to complete 25+ dribbles (34), create 25+ chances (26), have 25+ shots (39), score 5+ goals (five) and provide 5+ assists (seven).
When asked how he felt about Messi's comments, Flick was delighted.
"It's an honour to hear the best player in history say that he likes this Barca," he told reporters.
"He follows the team closely, he has his heart set on this club, that means a lot to the youngsters and to the team."
Barcelona return to LaLiga action when they travel to Celta Vigo on Saturday, looking to extend their lead at the top of the league.
Simeone makes LaLiga history with 700th game in charge of Atletico
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has become the first manager to take charge of 700 games with the same LaLiga club.
The Argentine hit the milestone as his Atleti side welcomed Alaves to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday.
Simeone first took charge of Los Rojiblancos in December 2011 and has gone on to become the most successful manager in the club's history, having brought eight honours to the Spanish capital.
The former midfielder guided Atletico to the LaLiga title in 2014 and 2021, while also overseeing two Europa League triumphs in 2012 and 2018 in addition to helping them reach two Champions League finals.
Saturday's game is Simeone's 492nd LaLiga match in charge - the most by any manager at a single club - and he has also managed the third-most games with a single club in the Champions League (109), after Alex Ferguson with Manchester United and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Atleti have won each of their last four matches across all competitions, and another on Saturday would be the 54-year-old's 300th in the Spanish top flight.
Ancelotti: 'Just a matter of time' until Mbappe breaks goal drought
Carlo Ancelotti insists "it is just a matter of time" until Kylian Mbappe breaks his goal drought, with the Real Madrid forward having failed to find the net in his last four appearances.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has endured a tricky start to life with Los Blancos since making the switch as a free agent.
Despite scoring eight goals in 16 appearances across all competitions, Mbappe is yet to truly catch fire at Santiago Bernabeu, where his displays have been subjected to widespread criticism.
The France forward has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04, while he was left out of Les Bleus' squad for their recent Nations League matches after going over 400 minutes without scoring.
Mbappe is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes in his final campaign with PSG, but Ancelotti is confident the tables will turn.
"It happens to all great strikers," the Italian told reporters ahead of Madrid's clash with Leganes on Sunday. "He can get frustrated, but that's not his case. I see him motivated and happy to train with his team-mates.
"Sooner or later, he will break that streak of games in which he hasn't scored goals. Tomorrow, he will have a great game because it is just a matter of time. He has incredible quality and, sooner or later, he will show it."
Ancelotti also addressed suggestions Mbappe should be switched from the central attacking position to the left wing, in place of top scorer Vinicius Junior.
"I don't think Kylian has ever asked me for a position on the pitch, everyone wants to start in the starting 11," Los Blancos' head coach added. "But Mbappe and Vinicius don't have a fixed position on the pitch. It all depends on the match."
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