17 Barcelona Players Depart for International Duty as Star Faces Gruelling Trip

Barcelona’s latest victory over Sevilla was not the only issue on the club’s mind before the international break. The team entered the break in a completely different situation, with a large number of players leaving to join their national teams and leaving Hansi Flick to work with a very limited group.

However, the biggest concern at Barcelona is not simply the number of players away, but one particular name who is currently enjoying one of his best spells with the club. The player is entering the international break in excellent form, but his upcoming schedule with his national team involves extensive travel and consecutive matches, prompting Barcelona to monitor his situation closely.

Barcelona have sent 17 players away on international duty during the current break, after the number was initially expected to reach 18. Andreas Christensen was subsequently left out of Denmark’s squad because of discomfort in his left thigh.

Spain’s squad includes seven Barcelona players: Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Rodri, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal. Meanwhile, Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal are with Spain’s Under-21 team.

Karim Adeyemi has joined Germany, Anthony Gordon has joined England, and Jules Kounde is with France. Raphinha is representing Brazil, Joao Cancelo is with Portugal, Hamza Abdelkarim is with Egypt, and Jhoao Bissouma is with Belgium Under-21s.

Although the large number of international absences represents a challenge for Flick during the break, Raphinha is the player causing particular concern. The Barcelona captain is enjoying an exceptional start to the season, having scored 14 goals in his first eight appearances across all competitions and establishing himself as one of the team’s most important attacking weapons.

The problem is that Raphinha’s trip with Brazil will be particularly demanding. Brazil are scheduled to play two matches in Australia, in Townsville and Brisbane, before travelling to Kolkata in India for another game. As a result, the concern is not only about the matches themselves, but also the amount of travelling and the physical fatigue involved.

There is another reason why Barcelona are approaching Raphinha’s situation cautiously. The winger has previously experienced physical problems following international duty. At the last World Cup, he suffered discomfort in his right hamstring, while in March he sustained another injury in the same area during Brazil’s friendly against France and subsequently missed around five weeks.

For Barcelona, these concerns come at a particularly sensitive moment, with the club eager to keep its key players fully fit after a strong start to the season. With 17 players away on international duty, the main objective will be to have them all return without injuries or excessive fatigue that could affect the next stage of the campaign.

Flick will meanwhile have to work during the international break with a very small first-team group consisting of six players: Gavi, Gerard Martin, Alejandro Balde, Gabriel Jesus, Brian Farinas and Wojciech Szczesny, while the injured players continue their respective recovery programmes.

Therefore, Barcelona’s real challenge during this international break will not simply be dealing with the absence of 17 players, but ensuring that all of their stars return in the best possible physical condition, particularly Raphinha, who enters the break in the midst of outstanding goalscoring form.