On September 24, Wuhan Football Club officially released the news that Brazilian foreign player Rafael has returned to China and will meet the whole team after the quarantine is over to prepare for the relegation group of the Chinese Super League. Due to injuries and the impact of the epidemic, Raphael missed the entire 2020 season and the first 14 rounds of the 2021 season. Today, Raphael's return is a blessing for the Wuhan team.
Raphael joined Wuhan in the 2018 season, and in the Chinese League A that year, Raphael played 23 games for the team, scoring 22 goals, becoming the biggest contributor to the Wuhan team's overtaking. In the 2019 season, Raphael continued his good form, making 15 appearances, starting 11 games and contributing 8 goals. However, entering 2020, affected by injuries, Raphael was reimbursed for the entire season. This season, although Wuhan renewed his contract for two years, Raphael, who is in Brazil, was affected by the epidemic and could not enter China, missing the first 14 rounds of the league in the first stage.
The Wuhan team, which lacked Raphael, performed poorly in the first stage of the season, and the team achieved only 1 win, 8 draws and 5 losses under the leadership of Li Xiaopeng, ranking 6th in the Suzhou Division, falling into the relegation group early. In 14 games, Wuhan scored only 11 goals, averaging less than 1 goal per game, and Li Xiaopeng's coaching ability was questioned.
Now, Raphael's return will undoubtedly enhance the team's attacking power, and Li Xiaopeng has finally ushered in a "life-saving straw". Although Baptistang has left the team, the front trident composed of Raphael, Evra and Anderson López, plus young players such as Huang Zichang and Fang Hao, this lineup is worthy of fans' expectations.
At least from the point of view of paper strength, Wuhan is very competitive in the relegation group, and it is not surprising that it will not fall behind the last two to participate in the relegation play-offs. On the front line of the FA Cup, the Wuhan team that ended its vacation early and attacked with an all-main posture should also have certain ideas.