Endrick Admits Brazil Is Lost Without Raphinha: ‘I Hope He’s Back Soon’

Brazil’s World Cup run hit a real snag when Raphinha went down, and now the team’s youngest forward is saying what everyone in the camp is thinking. They miss him badly.

Real Madrid’s Endrick, currently on loan at Lyon, didn’t sugarcoat things when asked about the Barcelona winger’s injury. Raphinha pulled up with a muscle problem during Brazil’s second group game against Haiti and hasn’t been able to train with the squad since.

“He’s a hugely important player,” Endrick said. “He’s a beast and we’re really sorry to be without him. I hope he’s back soon. He was unlucky with that injury. He must be desperate to return.”

Raphinha’s Recovery Timeline Gets Tricky

The 29-year-old felt something in the back of his right thigh before halftime against Haiti. He hasn’t played since. Brazil beat Scotland without him and got past Japan in the Round of 32, but now they’re facing Norway in the Round of 16 and he’s still not ready.

Medical staff ruled him out of this one. The Brazilian Football Confederation is playing it safe, and Barcelona’s doctors are staying in touch to monitor how he’s healing. There’s some hope he could be back if Brazil makes the quarterfinals, but nobody’s guaranteeing anything.

Endrick said Raphinha has been putting in serious work to get back on the field. “He’s training in the mornings, afternoons and evenings so he can come back as quickly as possible.”

That kind of dedication matters when you’re talking about a guy who was arguably Brazil’s most consistent attacker before the injury. Losing him at this stage isn’t ideal for coach Carlo Ancelotti, who now has to figure out how to break down Norway without one of his primary weapons.

The team has managed so far, but the competition gets steeper from here. Norway won’t be an easy out, and Brazil’s depth is about to get tested in a real way. Endrick might be the one who has to step up, and he seems to understand what’s at stake.

For now, the whole squad is just waiting on Raphinha’s hamstring to cooperate. The hope is that a few more days of rest and rehab will be enough. But hope isn’t a game plan, and Brazil knows it.