Cristiano Ronaldo has sent words of encouragement to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after the Paris Saint-Germain winger ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Barcelona.
PSG confirmed the 25-year-old will have surgery "in the coming days" on his right knee after colliding with Xavi Espart in his side's 4-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League.
Kvaratskhelia is now likely to miss the rest of the season as he recovers, although no timeline has been given yet.
The Georgia international said in a post on Instagram he would be back "stronger."
"I thought I was prepared for everything, but not, and I realize that God chose me and if I protected the players on another field, I'm ready to go through these months in labor, pain, tears.
"I know I have to come back stronger for my people who always have my back, I won't let you down I promise I won't waste a second. Thank you all for your support see you soon."
Ronaldo commented on the post, saying: "The hardest battles in football are often the ones nobody sees. I know that feeling, Kvara.
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"But never forget what brought you this far, and don't let a difficult moment make you doubt how far you can go. Keep that fire on. Your best is still to come."
Several PSG teammates, including Marquinhos, Ferran Torres, Achraf Hakimi and Désiré Doué also commented on the post.
"Stay strong my brother you will come back stronger, God is with you," Doué said.
