Barcelona have confirmed that Lionel Messi will be sidelined for between six to eight weeks with a hamstring tear.

The 26-year-old was forced off with the problem during his side's 4-1 win over Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday.

The forward will now miss Argentina's upcoming friendlies against Ecuador and Bosnia-Herzegovina later this month.

A brief statement on Barcelona's official website read: "The Argentinean has a muscle tear in his left hamstring."

Messi has scored 14 goals in 14 games for Barca so far this season.