Raphinha named Brazil captain by Ancelotti ahead of Japan friendly

Barcelona forward Raphinha has been handed the Brazil captaincy by Carlo Ancelotti ahead of Saturday’s international friendly against Japan in Singapore.

According to Barca Universal⁠, the 29-year-old will wear the armband in the absence of regular captain Marquinhos, who has been ruled out of Brazil’s international fixtures after suffering a muscular injury during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League encounter with Barcelona.

Ancelotti reportedly considered several alternatives, including Vinicius Junior, Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Magalhaes, before deciding to maintain the leadership hierarchy established during the previous international break.

Guimaraes is next in line to captain the team if Raphinha is unavailable. The appointment comes after an impressive campaign for the Barcelona attacker, who has scored 19 goals across competitions despite struggling with injuries.

Barcelona will be monitoring his involvement closely, hoping Ancelotti manages his workload carefully during the two friendlies against Japan and Singapore on November 14 and 17 respectively.