Barcelona's Rafinha back from 6 month injury layoff
Barcelona - Barcelona midfielder Rafinha was given the all clear to return to action on Thursday, six months after suffering cruciate ligament damage in his right knee.
The 23-year-old suffered the injury in Barca's first Champions League game of the season away to Roma in September.
"Six months after being injured in Rome, the Brazilian midfielder has overcome his knee injury and is once again available for Luis Enrique," Barca said in a statement posted on the club's website.
Enjoy @Rafinha https://t.co/LUmG9m8wZS #RafinhaIsBack
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 17, 2016
The club showed its faith in the player by renewing his contract till 2020 during his injury layoff in November.
Rafinha had become a regular for Enrique early in the season before his injury, including a goal in their thrilling 5-4 UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla in August.
His presence will add plenty of competition for places in the Barca midfield as the Catalans look to seal a second consecutive treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.
Enrique's men are eight points clear in La Liga with nine games to go, face Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final in May and progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 5-1 aggregate win over Arsenal on Wednesday.
Rafinha could also feature for Brazil at the Copa America in June or on home soil at the Rio Olympics in August.