Thiago sends heartfelt message to brother Rafinha following knee injury

Thiago certainly knows a thing or two about knee injuries and the lengthy road to recovery.

And, now his brother, Rafinha, is set to discover the the strain of working his way back to recovery following a devastating knee injury that is expected to keep him on the sidelines for up to six months.

Rafinha suffered a similar injury to the one that kept his brother out of action for over a year when he tore ligaments in his right knee during Barcelona's Champions League draw against Roma on Wednesday.

Thiago, who was sidelined for 371 days when he sustained a series of knee injuries during the early stages of his move to Bayern Munich, took to Instagram to offer support to his little brother.

"Now I understand when mum told me: "I would have liked it to be my knee and not yours." Now I am with you, and her too. They always told us life would be difficult, that we would have to fight for our dreams, strive and persevere. But nobody said the walls of the path would be so high and slippery. But, like this, I want to jump another wall with you, to see how high it is. That dream you were living was only a mirage, because what awaits you will be much higher than you ever imagined. I love you."