Barcelona stalwart Andres Iniesta has suffered a hamstring injury that is expected to rule him out of action for up to six weeks.
The midfielder started last night’s Champions League encounter against Bayer Leverkusen, but had to be substituted off in the 60th minute owing to a hamstring injury.
His return to the first team will be dependent upon his recovery, although he is expected to be out for four to six weeks.
Barcelona have endured a difficult season so far with respect to injuries as Rafinha Alcantara has been ruled out for months due to a long-term leg injury, while Lionel Messi also sustained a knee injury last weekend and will be out for up to eight weeks.
Iniesta’s injury will further weaken a Barcelona squad that has already been reeling due to a FIFA-imposed two-transfer window ban on registering new signings.
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In the absence of the 2010 World Cup winner, youngsters such as Gerard Gumbau and Sergi Samper are expected to be given increased first team appearances in the upcoming matches.
Barcelona will be up against Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in their next league game on Saturday.
