Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has taken to social media to thank well-wishers for their support after it was confirmed that the Argentine would be out of action for the next two months.
Messi was forced off in the early stages of Barcelona's 2-1 win over Las Palmas at the weekend, and subsequent tests revealed that the 28-year-old had suffered knee ligament damage.
The Argentina international is expected to miss at least the next six weeks, but has released a positive message to the public.
"Thank you all for your supportive messages. For anyone who loves football, the hardest thing is not to be on the pitch. Now it's time to recover properly to come back. A big hug," Messi wrote on his official Facebook page.
Messi has been pencilled in for a November return, with the Clasico against Real Madrid towards the end of the month a reported target.