Barcelona star Lionel Messi faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines after pulling his hamstring in the club's recent 4-1 victory over Real Betis on Sunday night. The Catalan giants were forced to bring the Argentina international off after only 22 minutes of play at the Benito Villamarin, after a challenge left him unable to continue. Scans after the game revealed that the 26-year-old had damaged his left hamstring, and will be out of action for around two months. This puts him out of international friendlies against Ecuador and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the remaining group games in the Champions League against Celtic and Ajax, in a group where Barca are already five points clear at the top of the table. The Blaugrana released an
official statement on the injury that read, "According to the club's medical services, the tests taken on Monday morning by Leo Messi have confirmed that the player has suffered a torn muscle in the femoral biceps of his left leg. "The approximate time he will be out is between six and eight weeks. "The first part of his recovery will take place in Barcelona and the second, in Buenos Aires." The news means he will also probably miss out on the club's trip to Bilbao to face Athletic, as well as a La Liga fixture against high-flying Villarreal, with new signing Neymar expecting to take centre stage in his absence. The injury also comes at a bad time as the announcement of the Ballon d'Or winner is set to be made in January, with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery now the favourites to take the annual gong.