Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has said football will "lose" without Lionel Messi, after the club confirmed on Wednesday that the Argentine superstar will miss the next three weeks with a groin injury.
Messi was taken off with in the second half of Barca's 1-1 La Liga draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, and is expected to miss the upcoming trips to Sporting Gijon, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celta Vigo.
It is also anticipated he will be sidelined for Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay on Oct. 6 and 11, respectively, before potentially returning against Deportivo La Coruna on Oct. 15.
"I'm not a medic, I can't give [detailed] information," Luis Enrique said in his postmatch news conference.
"But without Leo we all lose. Football loses. We have to find solutions, knowing that with Messi we're very strong. We know that we have to win."
It's the second time this season Messi has injured his groin, although this time the problem is at the top of his right leg, not his left leg.
He also missed seven weeks of action at a similar stage last season when he picked up a knee injury in a win against Las Palmas.
Barca led 1-0 when Messi was taken off against Atletico, with Angel Correa scoring an equaliser for Diego Simeone's side almost immediately after coming on as a second-half substitute.
"We knew it wouldn't be an easy game," Luis Enrique said. "We knew that we'd have to attack a team who sat back, who worked hard, left few spaces and made things tough.
"We had a good first half, without creating many chances. We attacked really well and they defended amazingly.
"We had chances when we got into our rhythm, but we know and accept that there are things we have to improve."
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique refused to blame Javier Mascherano for the draw after the Argentine international slipped to gift Correa the leveller, saying it's something which could happen to any player at any time.