Pau Victor and Dani Olmo traveled with the squad to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Supercopa, but cannot play as their registrations have been blocked due to the club's financial issues.
Speaking to the press ahead of the semifinal against Athletic Bilbao in Jeddah, Raphinha admitted the players' frustration.
Supercopa:
"A title gives confidence to any team. We have to be ready to fight for everything. We have the opportunity to win the first title of the year. It will give us a lot of confidence."
Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, how are you experiencing it?
"It's a very complicated situation. We never want to go through these moments, they are complicated for us and for them, who don't know if they will play or not. We are trying to make it not so difficult for them. We hope that those in charge can resolve this as quickly as possible so that they can play with us again."
Physical state:
"We've already started the year with a very important victory. I'm much better. I have some discomfort, but what football player doesn't have discomfort? I feel fine now and I hope to be able to help the team in the next match."
Defeat against Atlético:
"Football is often quite unfair. We played a great game against Atleti, but we lost. That's football. We are now 100% focused on the game against Athletic, on making as few mistakes as possible."
Legal battle, do you trust the club?
"We have to hope that this will be resolved quickly. We have to wait. The truth is that we knew the same thing as you. We tried to stay focused to do our job. I hope that the people who have to resolve this can do so and give us good news quickly."
Results slump:
"It's difficult to say why. In football you are never at 100% throughout the season, there are dips and we drop in level at the end of the year. But we have played good games again and we want to continue in that dynamic."
Araujo:
"He has to answer that for you. I have nothing to say, it's a personal situation. Only he and the club can tell you something."
What would you do in Olmo and Pau Víctor's situation?
"It's a complicated situation. Only the person who is in it can tell you what they are feeling. You have to wait and see what happens. The club is quite positive that things will be resolved as quickly as possible, but it is a complicated situation. For Dani and Pau it is quite difficult."
Does the Olmo and Pau Victor thing affect you?
"Yes, I can't say no. I'd be lying and I don't like to lie. If I were at another club and I was looking at the situation with Pau and Dani, I might think that it would be better to be here. When I came here, I knew the situation at the club, I knew that I had a certain chance of playing in this shirt and I waited."