Messi to be sidelined for almost 2 months with hamstring injury

Barcelona star Lionel Messi will reportedly be sidelined for six to eight weeks due to a muscle tear in his left thigh's hamstring muscle.

The Argentine star limped off after just 20 minutes of Barcelona's 4-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday, the third time this season that he has been forced off with a muscular problem following hamstring and thigh injuries in his right leg earlier in the campaign.

According to Sport24, Barcelona confirmed Messi's injury, adding that the player's first phase of Messi's recovery will be covered in Barcelona and he will then travel to Buenos Aires.

Stating that the absence of the four-time World Player of the Year could never be used as en excuse for the team to not perform, Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino said that although Messi is the 'best player in the world', they also have our or five of the next six or seven best players in the world.

Despite losing Messi with the score still at 0-0, Barca cruised to victory as two goals in two minutes from Neymar and Pedro Rodriguez put them 2-0 up at the break, the report added.