Barcelona have confirmed that Lionel Messi faces three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a tear in his right groin muscle.
The Argentine limped off during the second half of his side’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, having previously appeared uncomfortable after pulling up while running for the ball.
It was a bad night on the fitness front for Barca, with Sergio Busquets also being withdrawn prematurely, although the club have since confirmed this was merely a result of flu.
The La Liga champions took the lead through Ivan Rakitic after 41 minutes on Wednesday but could not maintain their advantage, with substitute Angel Correa sealing a point for Los Colchoneros just after the hour mark.
It meant neither side could close the gap on leaders Real Madrid, who earlier in the evening had drawn 1-1 at home to Villarreal.
Messi will be unavailable for the games against Sporting Gijon, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celta Vigo and with the international break due on the second week of next month, may now not feature until October 15 against Deportivo la Coruna.
The 29-year-old, who recently suffered from a similar issue in his left leg, has scored eight goals in all competitions this season but will now be out for the next three weeks due to the problem. A statement read: “Leo Messi will be out of action for around three weeks.
The Argentine star tore a muscle in his groin in the second half of the game against Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou.” Barca are currently 1.25 to win at Gijon on Saturday, with the draw 5.50 and Sporting priced at 11.00.
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