Manuel Lanzini Offers Emotional Instagram Message Following World Cup Heartbreak

Manuel Lanzini has thanked his family, team-mates and fans for their support in an emotional Instagram post after suffering a long-term injury which has ruled the Argentine out of the World Cup. 

The 25-year-old West Ham United attacker had been selected as part of La Albiceleste boss Jorge Sampaoli's 23-man squad ahead of the festival of football in Russia, which begins next week.

However, after suffering a rupture to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during training, the Hammers favourite now faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines which could span up to a year. 

After Lanzini's injury was reported, he received an abundance of well-wishes from his supporters and club team-mates via social media, and he took to Instagram this weekend to thank those who had offered him their kind words. 

"This publication is to tell you that there is more suffering and pain that I feel for what happened to me, for being so close to fulfilling the dream I dreamed of as a kid as it was to play a World Cup, not being able to do it," he said.

"Beyond all this, I am very grateful to you for having sent me so nice messages of support, affection and good energies. I thank my family that they always see a positive side to this and that makes me very well...

"I also want to thank my colleagues who were in charge of doing everything possible to make me feel good and not to spend such a painful day. Also send them many strengths and hopefully they can achieve the goal we had from the beginning. All together for a dream.

"And I repeat to you again, THANK YOU for your support, so now I think about a good recovery and getting well for what comes to me from my career." 

Argentina, now without West Ham's Lanzini, begin their World Cup campaign in Moscow against Iceland on Saturday.