Brazil didn’t find much trouble bouncing back to beat Haiti 3-0 in its second match of the FIFA World Cup group stage.
However, the victory came at a steep price. Shortly after having a goal ruled off by an offside penalty, FC Barcelona star Raphinha had to leave the pitch in clear discomfort.
Rayan replaced him at the 40th minute, and given his history of injuries, it didn’t take long before alarms sounded.
Now, the Brazilian Football Confederation has confirmed that he has already undergone treatment for what appears to be a hamstring injury.
Raphinha could miss the rest of the World Cup
“The forward felt pain in the back of his right thigh during the first half of the match against Haiti. The player has already started treatment and will be reevaluated,” the CBF said in a statement, per Mundo Deportivo.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti didn’t want to get into details, only sharing that the team still didn’t know the extent of the injury.
“Raphinha will be evaluated tomorrow. Right now, we don’t have a clear idea of what happened with the hamstring,” Ancelotti said.
While the injury could be minor, soft-tissue ailments tend to linger, and the Barcelona winger has struggled with hamstring injuries far too often in recent years, so this is definitely a concern.
Ancelotti was already dealing with Neymar Jr.’s absence, though he might be back from his right calf muscle injury for the final match of the group stage.
The Brazilians are stacked up front and could still get by without one of their best players, but this could also be a lethal blow to their aspirations.