17 players under the microscope: international break nightmares spread terror at Barcelona
Laporta demanded a solution to the crisis
Anxiety has gripped Barcelona's coaching staff, led by Germany's Hansi Flick, as the current international break gets under way.
A few days ago, Flick said: "I feel anxious when the players leave, but I trust the national team coaches and I try to stay positive."
According to "Marca", 17 international players will leave Barcelona during the current break. The number was 18, but Andreas Christensen's injury, a problem in his left thigh muscle, keeps him from joining up with Denmark. There is no fear at Barcelona, but there is anxiety and tension. The players are in excellent physical condition, and these matches and trips across the Atlantic, as is the case with Raphinha, put their fitness at risk.
The Brazilian and others have come back injured before.
Seventeen Barcelona players are away with their national teams during this long break. Seven of them are with Spain under Luis de la Fuente: Cubarsí, Eric García, Rodri, Pedri, Fermín, Olmo and Lamine.
In the match against Croatia, they will face Livaković, who is also away with his country.
Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal join the under-21s, who play in qualifying for Euro 2027. To get there, the team will play three matches against Finland, San Marino and Romania.
There is more. Adyemi has been called up by Germany after a spell out, for the matches against Serbia and Greece. Raphinha goes with Brazil, Cancelo with Portugal, Gordon with England, Koundé with France, Hamza Abdelkarim with Egypt and Bisseck with the Belgium under-21s.
Barcelona reserve their sharpest concern for Raphinha. He is the most in-form player in the squad, with 14 goals in eight matches. He faces a rest period after covering long distances, and he has returned injured from previous call-ups.
It is not just the risk of injury in the matches themselves. The length of the flights and the fatigue also take their toll.
Raphinha, like Lamine, Gavi and De Jong, has come back from international duty injured on several previous occasions.
Take the most recent example. Raphinha suffered pain in his right knee tendons during the last World Cup. A few months earlier, in March, and during a friendly between Brazil and France held in the United States, he was injured in the same area, dropped from the squad and sent straight back to Barcelona. He missed five weeks.
Last season, scattered injuries hampered his availability, and Flick and Barcelona hope their star forward will return to full fitness.
Joan Laporta, Barcelona's president, told last Saturday's general assembly of his regret over this break, both for its timing and for the number of matches his players have to play, and revealed his desire to speak with international football organisations. Laporta said: "This break affects the rhythm of our preparations. It harms us greatly. We have to keep fighting and find the right balance. There are many competitions, the Conference League and the Nations League ... the schedule is extremely crowded."
