Messi ruled out for around 7-8 weeks after he suffers collateral ligament tear in his left knee

Barcelona star Lionel Messi winces in pain after he suffered a collateral ligament tear in his left knee during Spanish league match against Las Palmas on Saturday (September 26) at the Nou Camp.

The 28-year-old Argentinian international collided with Las Palmas defender Pedro Bigas in the third minute into the game and was later asked to be substituted in the eighth minute. Messi was replaced by Munir El Haddadi.

''Injuries are the worst thing in football and it carries a special weight when it's Messi,'' Barcelona manager Luis Enrique said Saturday at post-match conference. ''It's a big challenge for our club. It's great news for our rival but for us it's a test and we have to accept it and overcome it. We will play exactly the same way. We have a lot of players of great quality.''

Barcelona wrote  on its twitter handle, ''Messi has a tear in the internal collateral ligament of his left knee. He will be out for around 7-8 weeks.''

Messi was taken to the nearby Clínica Cruz Blanca hospital, where tests confirmed he had torn the collateral ligament in his left knee. He was later videoed limping out of hospital and back into a car.