Barcelona have confirmed that defender Thomas Vermaelen will face three weeks out after injuring his calf during the club's 2-1 win against Atletico Madrid yesterday.
The Belgian international was replaced in the first half and could miss six games for the Spanish champions after managing just 63 minutes of football last season.
The injury comes at a poor time as Gerard Pique still has one match to serve in his four-game suspension for his red card in the Spanish Super Cup.
Last season, the 29-year-old struggled with a hamstring injury last that he suffered at the World Cup and has made just five appearances since joining from Arsenal in 2014.
Barcelona head to Italy for their next fixture against Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday.
