Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino will return to Argentina later this week due to the death of his father.

A statement from the Catalan outfit has revealed that the 50-year-old, who took charge of Barcelona in the summer, will make the trip back to his homeland after Wednesday's Champions League clash with Ajax.

It had initially been reported that Martino would miss the European opener due to the bereavement, but club president Sandro Rosell confirmed the news at a press conference on Tuesday.

Barcelona were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League last season by eventual champions Bayern Munich.