Lamine Yamal may be a serious contender to win the Ballon d’Or, but that doesn’t make him Barcelona’s most prized asset.Instead, European football expert Andy Brassell believes that honour belongs to Raphinha.Raphinha has now scored just shy of 90 goals for Barca since he moved from LeedsGettyThe Brazilian leads LaLiga’s goalscoring charts with an impressive haul of 12 goals from just seven fixtures.He also bagged a double against Feyenoord in Barcelona’s Champions League opener.However, he was rested for Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Getafe on Saturday and will miss the Champions League clash against Galatasaray on Tuesday.The decision was made by Barca boss Hansi Flick after Raphinha picked up a thigh injury on international duty for Brazil.“The tests show something,” Flick said.“It’s not a serious injury, but we have to be careful because he had three injuries last year, and we have to take care of him.”Why Andy Brassell believes Raphinha is Barca’s most important starWith fixtures against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to come later in October, Flick will hope his cautious approach with Raphinha, who turns 30 in December, can bear fruit.For Brassell, Flick’s decision also underlines the high regard in which the Brazilian is held at the club.“Hansi Flick has been clear to say that he’s not injured, he’s just too valuable to us to muck about with,” Brassell told talkSPORT.com.“They’ve just extended his contract to 2030. He is their most important player, I would say, ahead of Lamine Yamal even, on and off the field.”Flick is hoping to lead Barcelona to a third consecutive LaLiga crownGettyKey tactical tweak behind Raphinha’s stunning numbersKey to Raphinha’s blistering goalscoring form this season has been his shift to a central striker role compared to his usual left wing position.Barcelona had a serious hole to fill up top following Robert Lewandowski’s departure at the end of last season.The Spanish giants attempted to replace Lewandowski with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, but their efforts proved futile.But Raphinha has seamlessly slotted into the position and it’s proved to be a masterstroke from Flick.How good has Lamine Yamal been this season?Despite Raphinha’s blistering start to the season, most of the spotlight remains firmly on teenage whiz Yamal.Fresh after helping Spain win the World Cup, Yamal has eight goals and seven assists for Barcelona.Yamal is the youngest player ever to debut for BarcelonaAFPFlick is evidently keen to maximise Yamal’s youthful energy, having started him in all of Barcelona’s fixtures this term.Yamal’s brilliance could soon be recognised with his first Ballon d’Or, with the winner to be named on October 26.It is shaping up to be a two-horse race between Yamal and Harry Kane for football’s most coveted individual prize.Should Yamal win, he’d become the youngest player to win the Ballon d’Or while Kane is aiming to become the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to claim the gong.