BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona says Lionel Messi will be sidelined for six to eight weeks because of his third leg injury of the season.

The Argentina forward hurt his left leg in Barcelona's 4-1 victory at Real Betis on Sunday, and medical exams Monday showed he'll be out up to two months.

Messi has been plagued by nagging muscle problems since the end of last season.

The 26-year-old star missed several weeks last month because of a right thigh problem after first hurting his left thigh in August. He was sidelined at the end of last season with a hamstring pull.

Also, Barcelona says midfielder Cesc Fabregas will need one week to recover from a right knee injury, forcing him to miss Spain's exhibitions against Guinea and South Africa.

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