Barcelona's Rafinha to Undergo Surgery After Tearing ACL vs. Atletico Madrid
Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Rafinha suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
The Brazilian has made eight appearances for Barcelona this season and has featured as both a central midfielder and a left winger. He was introduced to Saturday's match at halftime after Sergi Roberto suffered a hamstring injury and managed to play the entirety of the second half, but it has now been confirmed that he was playing with a potentially serious injury.
Barcelona revealed the details of Rafinha's injury on Twitter. Rafinha is said to have felt some discomfort during the latter stages of the match, and Barcelona's medical team have now confirmed that he has suffered a torn ACL.
He is set to undergo surgery in the near future, but this injury will likely keep Rafinha out for the remainder of the current season.
The injury will come as a huge blow for Rafinha, who has struggled greatly with injuries throughout his career. In 2015, Rafinha suffered a similar ACL tear in his right knee which forced him to miss 44 matches for Barcelona, while a meniscus injury in 2017 sidelined the midfielder for a further 39 games.
Manager Ernesto Valverde will now be forced to find alternative options in both central midfield and as a winger. 20-year-old Carles Alena will likely earn more minutes in the heart of the pitch, whilst wingers Malcom and Munir El Haddadi will both be afforded more chances to impress at the Camp Nou.
The club will have to do without Rafinha during their upcoming Champions League clashes with PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham. Barcelona currently sit top of Group B, but both Inter and Tottenham still have the chance to qualify for the knockout stages.
