Messi hit by hamstring blow

Lionel Messi has been ruled out for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury.

The Argentine starlet picked up the complaint during Tuesday night's UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea.

He was forced from the pitch after just 25 minutes, pulling up in apparent discomfort under no real pressure.

Initial tests have shown he has pulled his right hamstring and now faces the best part of a month on the sidelines.

The 18-year-old spoke of his frustration at the injury which robbed him of the chance of adding to his burgeoning reputation in the high-profile showdown with The Blues.

"It is bad luck because for me the match (against Chelsea) was very important for many reasons," he explained.

"But the important thing is our qualification and now I am just hoping to recover as quickly as possible."