Barcelona´s Iniesta faces up to eight weeks out – doctor

Barcelona's Spanish international midfielder Andres Iniesta could be out for as long as eight weeks after he tore a muscle in his right leg, the club's doctor said Wednesday.

Iniesta got hurt during his team's 1-1 Champions League draw with FC Basel on Tuesday.

Club doctor Ricard Pruna said on Barcelona's website: “To treat this injury calmly no one can do it in less than six weeks. I would put the recovery period at between six and eight weeks for him to be able to play again without ever being bothered again by this injury.”

Club officials had initially indicated that Iniesta would be out of action for six weeks. Doctors are now calling for a longer recovery period after the 24-year-old underwent further tests on Wednesday.

“The injury to Andres is the bad news from the game,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta said after the match.

Iniesta, a member of Spain's victorious Euro 2008 side, is now set to miss the season's first 'El Clasico' against arch rivals Real Madrid at Camp Nou on December 14.