​Raphinha handed Brazil captaincy by Carlo Ancelotti ahead of Japan and Singapore friendlyRaphinha’s growing influence at Barcelona is translating into greater responsibility with Brazil, with Carlo Ancelotti selecting the 29-year-old to captain his country against Japan on Saturday, November 14, in Singapore. According to MARCA, the Barcelona forward will wear the armband in the absence of regular captain Marquinhos, who has been ruled out of the international fixtures through injury.The decision, although not the first time, is simply a recognition of Raphinha’s leadership qualities under Ancelotti. Already an important figure in the Barcelona dressing room, the Brazilian has established himself as one of the most influential players in the national team setup.Ancelotti chooses Raphinha over Vinicius and other Brazil leadersMarquinhos is currently Brazil’s first-choice captain but was left out of the squad after suffering a muscular injury during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League meeting with Barcelona.His absence forced Ancelotti and his coaching staff to consider alternative leadership options. Raphinha will be Brazil’s captain during the international break. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)On that note, the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Vinicius Jr. and Gabriel Magalhaes were among the players considered for the responsibility, with the possibility of rotating the captaincy also discussed.However, the former Real Madrid manager ultimately decided to maintain the hierarchy established during the previous international break and trust Raphinha with the armband.Guimaraes is next in the leadership order and would take over if the Barcelona forward is not on the pitch. Nevertheless, recent training sessions suggest Raphinha is expected to start against Japan.Barcelona have reason to monitor Raphinha’s international workloadRaphinha’s appointment comes during an outstanding, albeit injury-ridden, individual campaign. Barcelona will pay close attention to Raphinha’s involvement with Brazil. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)The Barcelona captain has scored 19 goals across competitions, making him one of Flick’s most productive attacking players.Despite his return, Barcelona will be particularly interested in how much football he plays during the international break. The Catalan club want Ancelotti to manage his workload carefully, given his injury in the previous break, with the intention being that Raphinha does not necessarily complete the full 90 minutes against Japan.Notably, Brazil will face Japan on November 14 before meeting Singapore on November 17. Both friendlies will take place at the National Stadium in Singapore, and the initial idea is that although Raphinha will start, he will not play the entire matches, which would be a relief for Barcelona.