Barcelona’s Rafinha set to miss rest of season

MADRID: Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Rafinha Alcantara may miss the rest of the season having ruptured a knee ligament in a nasty tackle against Roma on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old had been on the field a matter of minutes, after coming on as a second-half substitute in the 1-1 draw in Champions League Group E, when he suffered the injury in a challenge by Roma’s Radja Nainggolan.
“Tests this morning have revealed that FC Barcelona midfielder Rafael Alcantara — also known as ‘Rafinha’ — has suffered a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right leg. He will undergo surgery in the coming days,” Barcelona said in a statement.
Barca coach Luis Enrique had already warned after the game in the Italian capital that “it looks like an ugly injury, very ugly, to the knee. He caught him from behind and it is the most unfortunate news of the day.”
The reigning European champions did not indicate how long Rafinha may face on the sidelines but the recovery period required after such an injury means he could miss the rest of the season.