Barcelona have confirmed defender Thomas Vermaelen will be unavailable for six weeks after sustaining an injury on international duty.
Vermaelen lasted just 73 minutes of Belgium’s 2-1 Nations League win against Switzerland on Friday before limping off with a hamstring injury.
Barca are already said to be without Samuel Umtiti for several months with a knee problem, leaving only Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet at their disposal.
The 32-year-old has been plagued with injury problems over recent years, appearing in only 50 league outings across the past six seasons.