Lionel Messi's injury picked up their weekend is a “worry” to Barcelona, admits president Jose Maria Bartomeu, Express UK reports.
It will be recalled that Messi injured his arm in Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Sevilla on Sunday. The forward had already scored for Barca at the Nou Camp when he was forced to come off in the 26th minute.
Messi is understood to have fractured his arm and will likely miss the next three weeks of action.
It means he is almost certainly out of Sunday's Clasico against Real Madrid.
And Bartomeu admits he is concerned for the forward.
"We are worried. He is the most important player in world football,” Bartomeu said.
“You will miss very important matches, but the positive message is that the team always responded and they became more responsible when Messi was not there.
“(Manager Ernesto) Valverde has perfect dressing room management and will take advantage of everything.
“I spoke with Messi and I hope he comes back soon.”
Lionel Messi is set to miss some crucial games for Barcelona over the coming weeks.
The Catalan giants face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday before the first Clasico of the season this weekend.
Barca then place Leonesa in the Copa del Rey, having a trip to Rayo Vallecano, a visit to Inter and a home tie with Real Betis before the mid-November international break.
Barca are reeling from the loss of Messi ahead of a crucial week in their season.
And Gerard Pique admits the squad have been hit by the impact of Messi's impending absence.
“Psychologically we know that when he is there we are stronger but we cannot allow his absence to affect us,” he said.
"It makes a big difference to have or not to have him but we have enough cover so as not to worry about whether he is there or not."