Raphinha undergoes ear surgery and Barcelona fears he will be overworked with the Brazilian national team.

A Brazilian news report revealed that Barcelona star, Raphinha, underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his left ear following the El Clasico match against Real Madrid on October 26. He suffered from pain and inflammation due to an injury sustained earlier in the month. The website "Globo Esporte" mentioned that the injury caused the player significant discomfort, forcing him to choose between continuing treatment to drain the fluids or undergoing surgery to resolve the issue permanently. The report clarified that Barcelona's management preferred to delay the surgery until the international break to avoid the player's absence from team matches. However, Raphinha decided to move the surgery up to ensure his readiness to participate with the Brazilian national team. It added that the Brazilian winger returned to Barcelona after recovering and performed impressively, having scored four goals during victories against Deportivo Alavés and Aston Villa. Meanwhile, the Barcelona coaching staff expressed concerns about the player experiencing fatigue due to his long journey with the national team, which covers around 22,000 kilometers round trip. This prompted the club to coordinate with the Brazilian federation to determine his playing minutes in friendly matches against Japan and Singapore. This coordination reflects Barcelona's commitment to maintaining the physical readiness of their player and avoiding any setbacks, while keeping track of his condition in conjunction with the Brazilian national team's coaching staff led by Carlo Ancelotti.