What’s the old wives’ tale? It’s no use crying over spilt milk…
That’s essentially the position Barcelona find themselves in at present, after Raphinha’s injury while on international duty with Brazil.
I, for one, have never really understood the value of having an international break at this point in any season, for precisely that reason.
Players are already tired from a long, hard season, their bodies battered… surely it benefits everyone by actually having a complete break at this point? Two weeks
where players can rest and re-energise.
Of course, that’s a conversation for another day. What Barca needs to do now is ensure that they look forward and not back.
Use the anger that they feel over Raphinha’s absence to fuel their performances, both domestically and in Europe.
There have already been mutterings amongst culers that Marcus Rashford isn’t the answer, and while it’s blindingly obvious that they are completely different players, the Manchester United loanee’s return in terms of goals and assists isn’t that bad.
And what better way for him to earn the contract that he wants than by providing some man-of-the-match showings for Barca over the next few weeks, as the Catalans go for La Liga and Champions League success.
He’ll certainly never have a better opportunity to silence the doubters. Doubters who are always the glass-half-empty crowd rather than the glass half full.
In any walk of life, you find out more about yourself when under the biggest strain or pressure.
If this current crop of Barcelona players is really to be considered as contenders in both competitions, then now is the time to prove it. No excuses. No hiding behind Raphinha’s absence. Business as usual.
As long as no further bad luck befalls the squad over the next two to three weeks, then the expectation will be that Barca will go marching on and be able to bring the Brazilian back for the final few games of the season.
There’s still plenty to get excited about, and leaning into the positivity rather than distancing themselves from it can also serve culers well. All for one, and one for all as it were.
Ultimately, Raphinha’s injury might well be a blow from which the Blaugranes don’t recover, but accepting that scenario before a ball has even been kicked…. well, we might just as well pack up and go home.
