Thiago sends heartfelt message to injured brother Rafinha

Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago has sent a heartfelt message of support to brother Rafinha following the Barcelona man’s injury.

Rafinha was taken off on a stretcher in the second half of the 1-1 Champions League draw with Roma on Wednesday with what was later confirmed as a ligament tear in his right knee.

The 22-year-old received a number of encouraging messages following surgery this week, with team-mate Lionel Messi among those to wish him a speedy recovery.

And Thiago, who suffered a similar injury in February last year, has posted his own tribute via his official Instagram page.

“Now I finally understand when mum said ‘I wish it was my knee and not yours’. Because that’s what I’m feeling right now when I think of you and I’m sure mom will be feeling the same thing,” he wrote.

“People have always told us that we’d have to fight for our dreams, to put in the effort and persevere. But they never said the walls on the road would be this tall and slippery.

“But I still want to climb one more wall with you, see how tall it is, and go through it together. This dream you were living was nothing but a dream, because what awaits you is bigger than you’ve ever imagined. I LOVE YOU”

Rafinha is expected to be sidelined for the majority of the campaign as a result of the injury.