Updated at 17.52
BARCELONA FORWARD LIONEL Messi will miss the next seven to eight weeks after sustaining a knee injury in Saturday’s defeat of Las Palmas at Camp Nou.
The Argentina international sustained the injury 10 minutes into the game when visiting defender Pedro Bigas put in a last-ditch challenge to block a shot.
Messi left the pitch to undergo treatment and initially seemed to be ready to continue after rejoining the action but he sat down once more minutes later and was unable to carry on.
Having visited a local clinic for tests, the club confirmed his period of absence, stating:
“Messi has a tear in the internal collateral ligament of his left knee. He will be out for around 7-8 weeks.”
On 25 minutes, Luis Suarez got the European champions off the mark with a well-timed header, as Barca ultimately beat Las Palmas 2-1.
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Additional reporting by Ben Blake
