Barcelona's Rafinha tears cruciate ligament

Barcelona have confirmed that Rafinha will face a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an injury to his right knee that he picked up during last night's Champions League encounter against Roma.

The 22-year-old had only been on the Stadio Olimpico pitch for a matter of minutes as a second-half substitute when he suffered the complaint in a challenge with Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan.

A subsequent scan revealed that the playmaker had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which will require surgery to correct.

Ordinarily, such an injury will sideline a player for around six to nine months.