Barcelona chief Deco is confident of the form of Raphinha.
Deco insists the Brazil winger is a big part of their plans.
"Raphinha was very important for Barcelona last year," he told Lance!. "He was important for us to win the league, especially in the second half of the campaign after Dembl's injury. He took on the role of protagonist.
"The first year at Barcelona is always complicated for any player, but I think he did very well. This year he started well, he was unlucky to be sent off in the first game, but he came back and played well. And in a game he was playing very well, he suffered an injury.
"He will probably recover in another two weeks, but we count a lot on him. He is essential. As well as scoring a lot of goals and assists, he's a competitive player and that's very important for us."
