New York: Spanish club FC Barcelona on Wednesday (local time) confirmed that Argentine striker Lionel Messi elongated his left adductor during the team's match against Villarreal.
Following this news, Messi will be sidelined for the upcoming matches but the side has not mentioned a timeline for his recovery.
"First team player Leo Messi has elongated his left adductor. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability," FC Barcelona said in a statement.
The 32-year-old Messi played the first half of against Villarreal and this was his first start after a preseason injury.
Messi played his first match the season when he came off the bench in the second half in the match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last week. He also came off the bench in the second half of the 2-0 loss at Granada in the La Liga on Sunday. Messi helped Antoine Griezmann to score the opening goal against Villarreal, but he suffered an injury after half an hour into the match.
The striker left the field and the team doctors attended to his leg for a few minutes before he eventually returned and finished the half. He was replaced by Ousmane Dembele at halftime. On Monday, Messi won the Best FIFA Men's Player of the year and he created a record along the way as he won the accolade for the sixth time.
He beat Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award.
